After the Storm
by Heather Cat
Summary: After a terrible storm that leaves a hundred drowned, Yuffie is washed un on the shore with someone she never expected to see again, let alone cooperate with. Chapter 17 now up!
1. Awakening

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
In the midst of raging darkness, the frothing waves sweep over the bow of a fast sinking ship, carrying many into the cold void below. Lightning splits the sky, and a single young woman struggles to keep her head above the screaming water.  
  
Her scream is drowned out by the chaos all around her, and her thrashing grows weaker and weaker. There are bodies around her, but she can't see them as she is drawn down. She knows she is losing consciousness as everything about her starts to dim.  
  
But as she starts to sink, a last crash of lightning lights up another person nearby. Clawing against the watery grave that calls to her, she clings to the person with her last strength. Arms circle around her, and as all sight and sound fade, two people cling together as if they would never let go.  
  
* * * *  
  
Pale light broke into the little cabin, and cascaded across the wooden floor. Under a light blue blanket, Yuffie stirred. She tried to sit up and groaned with the effort. It felt as if her entire body had been smashed against the rocks repeatedly.  
  
She forced her aching body up a little ways, but didn't dare stretch for fear of the pain it would bring. What the hell had happened? She did her best to prop herself up, wondering at how weak she was. She scanned the room. And where the hell am I?  
  
She was surprised to find she was warm. Not yet very conscious, all Yuffie could remember was a feeling of incredible coldness that she could only compare with the snowfields. She tried to make her mind work in the warm morning sunshine. Nothing came at first, but she pushed a little deeper.  
  
Darkness. Black waves pounded all around her and something was sucking her down. down.  
  
Yuffie opened her eyes with a start. Something beside her had moved. Despite her legs' violent protests, she scrambled away from the blanket. The first thing she noticed was that there was indeed someone else there under the blanket. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't wearing anything.  
  
Blushing, Yuffie looked desperately around for something, anything, to put on. Her search was not immediately rewarded. There was a pile on wet clothing just by the threadbare couch that was vaguely recognizable, but definitely not wearable. Moving slowly, she carefully avoided the makeshift bed on the floor, and went searching in the next room.  
  
She didn't know this place, of that she was certain. Yuffie Kisaragi certainly would not deign to live in a place so. so. uncivilized. Everything was worn out and looked as if it hadn't been touched for a year. To her merit, Yuffie found a too large bathrobe in the other room. It was old and a little moth eaten, but also soft and comfortable.  
  
She felt sort of disoriented, as if she wasn't totally there. She was obviously exhausted even though it felt like she'd been asleep forever. Still, she had to find out who was sleeping in the main room. Whoever it was, she didn't envy him or her the hard floor.  
  
Returning to the other room, Yuffie approached cautiously. Although the person was still sleeping, they might wake up at any time. Although the place was warm enough, the floor was cold, and Yuffie wished she had a pair of fuzzy slippers. She padded softly over the silent figure.  
  
She refused to admit she was afraid. The lady of Wutai never admitted she was afraid. For some reason the thought of Wutai was like circling a giant black abyss. Mentally, Yuffie backed away. Anyway, if the person had meant her any harm, it would have been done long ago.  
  
Bending down, Yuffie knelt down on the floor where she had been sleeping. Sitting with her legs folded under her, Yuffie gently pulled back the blanket to get a good look at this mysterious person. She blinked.  
  
The man stirred as the light reached his eyes, and for a second Yuffie just stared at him. She knew this man all too well. The flaming red hair left no room for doubt.  
  
Reno opened his sharp blue eyes, and winced in the light. He was as obviously dazed as Yuffie was. His face was pale, and his shocking hair was much more of a mess than she remembered. Suddenly realizing the implications, Yuffie quickly reached up to her own hair. Sure enough, it wasn't much better.  
  
Reno sat up with a groan.  
  
".Oooowww. Fucking hell." He looked up at Yuffie, noncomprehendingly. "Where am I?" She just continued to stare for a moment.  
  
"Re. Reno!?"  
  
He winced at her tone of utter astonishment. Squinting, he tried to make sense of the confused messages his brain was sending him.  
  
".You're that. AVALANCHE ninja girl." He stopped and tried to think. "Yuffie, wasn't it?"  
  
She nodded, temporarily mute. This was a Turk sitting in front of her. The last time they'd met it had been in Midgar, and she had only wondered in passing if they had got out before Meteor hit. Well, at least this answered her question.  
  
Reno brushed the blanket, and it fell off to reveal more then Yuffie was comfortable seeing. Reno had a slender, though muscular frame and strong arms. To her relief he was wearing boxers, and she blushed furiously for the second time in ten minutes. He didn't seem to notice.  
  
Lying back down, he pulled the blanket back up about him as if he were freezing to death, and stared at Yuffie. He hesitated before deciding to speak.  
  
"I. I'm glad you're there. I thought you were a dream."  
  
"A dream?" Still angry with herself Yuffie was staring at a ragged corner of the blanket. Reno chuckled softly.  
  
"It was either that or a nightmare."  
  
Yuffie's head whipped around with an angry retort on her lips, but she stopped herself. Reno had drifted back off to sleep, his eyes closed peacefully. A small grin still played on his lips.  
  
Too tired to think anymore, Yuffie let herself fall back onto the floor beside him. Lying down, she pulled the blanket over to cover herself before consciousness left her. Outside, the birds began to sing, but there was no one to hear.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	2. Remembering

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
When Yuffie woke again, she felt much better. Still lying with her eyes closed, she smiled and imagined getting up and going down to breakfast where her father would be waiting.  
  
With a snap she shot completely awake. The small cabin seemed filled with a soft golden glow, and Yuffie could hear someone moving about. All of a sudden the memory of. when had that been.? Came flooding back to her. Indeed, Reno was no longer beside her and the blanket lay spread softly over Yuffie as if someone had placed it there.  
  
Getting up, Yuffie clutched the front of her bathrobe with one hand as she walked slowly towards the other room from where the sounds were coming. She was careful not to alert the Turk of her presence.  
  
Coming up to the doorway, Yuffie walked in to find Reno only wearing a towel. His red hair hung down, and she had never seen it loose before. Stopping short with embarrassment, she just stood there as Reno turned around to see her.  
  
"Hey."  
  
The easy greeting came as a surprise and she wasn't quite sure what to answer.  
  
". . .H, Hey."  
  
Reno didn't bother to look embarrassed. He merely shrugged and gave Yuffie a crooked smile.  
  
"I know this isn't the best, ah, of circumstances, but you took the only bathrobe so it'll have to do until our clothes dry." When Yuffie didn't answer he smiled his smile again. "I though about stealing it, of course, but I thought you might get a little touchy."  
  
Yuffie was caught by the sudden urge to laugh and snarl at the same time. She settled for just looking offended.  
  
"Look, Turk. . ." She was interrupted by Reno, however.  
  
"Name's Reno, babe." She scowled before continuing.  
  
"Fine. Reno. I'm not sure what's happening or where we are or how the hell I ended up here with you, but this needs to be fixed. Fast."  
  
"There's some things we definitely have to figure out, yeah." He looked her up and down. "There's hot water piped up from a nearby spring. I think you could do with a shower too, babe. It'll make you feel better and think clearer."  
  
Reaching over to a nearby shelf he brought down a towel and tossed it to Yuffie. He pointed the way and made to leave. Just as he reached the door, Yuffie's voice stopped him.  
  
"The name's Yuffie, Turk. Don't call me babe."  
  
Bowing as best he could, Reno smiled outrageously and winked before closing the door behind him.  
  
* * * *  
  
Coming out of the shower, Yuffie felt much more alive. The fuzz that had inhabited her head seemed to be gone, and she was full of questions. Drying her hair, Yuffie found a medium sized mirror in the bathroom hidden inside a cabinet door.  
  
She was definitely pale, and a bit battered, but other then that she was no worse for the wear. Deciding to save a closer inspection for a later date, Yuffie put back on the bathrobe and went out to go find Reno.  
  
When she came in, he was sitting on the small couch, still in the towel. He didn't seem to mind, so Yuffie pretended she didn't either. If he wanted to try something she'd show him that Yuffie Kisaragi took that from no one. Raising her chin, she went over. In passing, she noticed two sets of soggy clothing laid out in the sunlight.  
  
"So. . . Reno. What exactly is going on?"  
  
He looked up at her, his expression hard to read. It had started out lost in thought, but as she came over it quickly changed to smug. There was plenty of room on the couch for Yuffie, but she was definitely uncomfortable and it showed. Dramatically, he stretched out.  
  
"It seems we were shipwrecked."  
  
"Cut the crap, Turkey. I know you love being stuck in a cabin with a babe like me, but I need to know what's going on." He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You know it as well as I do. Although I find it hard to believe we were both on the same ship, that seems to have been the case."  
  
"The. . . ship?" She paled a little, and despite her misgivings, she sat down next to Reno.  
  
"Yeah. The cruiser from Wutai to Costa Del Sol and then Mideel. You remember?"  
  
"I. . . I do. Yeah. I got evacuated onto the ship with the others." Horror suddenly hit her. "What happened to everyone else!? There was the storm and all the shouting. And then the darkness and the waves that kept on coming! I screamed for someone but there were all these bodies around me and the waves kept on coming. And then there was something trying to pull me down into the dark."  
  
Yuffie suddenly realized she was crying. It had all come back at once. The storm and the panic as the ship had gone down. Shivering, she felt warm arms around her. "Yeah, babe. It's alright. . . it's over now. It's over."  
  
For a few minutes, Yuffie just sat there and let herself be comforted, but slowly, she composed herself. Trying to pick up the pieces of her self-respect, Yuffie wiped her eyes in annoyance.  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
"I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't. . ."  
  
He let her go and sat back to give her some space.  
  
"Believe me, babe. Something like that coming back all at once is enough to knock anyone off their feet."  
  
She smiled at him gratefully for a moment before realizing who it was it had come from. Seeing his self-assured little grin, she felt like slapping herself, or, perhaps him. Of course he'd say something like that. Reno was practically famous for being able to talk his way into women's beds. She glared.  
  
"Don't you ever touch me again, Turk!"  
  
He looked taken aback.  
  
"Hey, hold on a second. Weren't you supposed to be thanking me?"  
  
"THANKING you!!??"  
  
"I didn't remember before, but just after you went in the shower it sorta started filtering back in."  
  
"And. . .?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"Don't you fucking dare. . ." His laughter interrupted her.  
  
"Well, it's kinda fuzzy. I must have been only half conscious when we hit the beach; you me and a couple of other guys. I remember all I wanted to do was fall over and sleep in the sand but I was soaked through and knew the dangers of that. The others were all still but there you were, shivering like anything. So I guess my brain turned off, and I lugged us both up to this cabin where we woke up."  
  
Yuffie was silent for a moment, considering this.  
  
"And what about my clothes?"  
  
"You should know. Hypothermia's never more than a dunk in the ocean away." She leveled him a dangerous look. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry to say I don't actually remember that part." His smirk told her it didn't really matter.  
  
Yuffie sighed and looked down. Although she tried not to let it show, she was definitely not taking this well. Outside, the sunshine told her that she had slept all the previous day and night.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"That's a good question. I don't know about you, babe, but I sure as hell won't be able to go anywhere for at least a couple of days."  
  
Yuffie groaned inwardly. She knew it was true, but she wanted to get out of here. Still, even after 24hours, she still felt like she'd been through the blender. Trying to make any trip would almost certainly kill her.  
  
"So, you have any clue where we are?"  
  
"I have a pretty good guess. This morning I went out for a look, and it looks like we're somewhere to the south of Wutai."  
  
"How would you know that?"  
  
"Believe me, babe. In my line of work you've got to be able to recognize any area at any time. I've only seen beaches like this - white sand - in the Wutai area."  
  
Yuffie nodded. She'd grown up on those beaches and could understand that.  
  
"Well, I guess it could have been a lot worse." Reno only nodded.  
  
"All you have to do is look at the beach to know you're right. There's a few people who weren't nearly as lucky as us."  
  
"Oh. . . no. . ."  
  
"Sorry to say there are about eight of them out there. Five of 'em are Wutaians." Yuffie looked sick but not surprised. Not noticing, Reno continued. "We'll have to do something about them soon, but I think it'll have to wait till tomorrow. I'm still exhausted and you look dead on your feet babe."  
  
Yuffie didn't answer. She felt drained and unsure; nothing like her usual cocky self. She wondered what they'd been through to leave the proud lady of Wutai feeling like this. Reno decided to interpret her silence as agreement.  
  
"Just chill and relax for today babe. We've got at least a few days until we'll be able to make tracks, and we've got our work cut out for us tomorrow. For now, I'm gonna go sit outside in the sun."  
  
As Reno got up to leave, Yuffie noticed for the first time that he looked as pale and drawn as she did. He just hid it a lot better. With a sigh of resignation, Yuffie realized things weren't all that bad after all.  
  
". . .Reno?"  
  
He stopped in the process of opening the door.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's not that I like being here with you, but. there are lots of worse guys to be stranded with."  
  
Reno's smile returned, banishing his tired expression.  
  
"Same to you babe, same to you."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	3. Graves

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
The next morning, Yuffie and Reno got ready to work. By early evening their clothes had been dry enough to wear once again, to Yuffie's great relief. Unfortunately, a thorough search of the cabin had revealed only one blanket and one bed.  
  
Yuffie had claimed the bed instantly and dared Reno to challenge her for it. He had been happy enough to take the couch, but a bloody battle for the blanket had ensued. It had started out as thrown insults after Reno stole the blanket, but Yuffie had thrown a pillow instead at him when he wasn't looking. It had quickly disintegrated into an out and out pillow war complete with fortresses and the blanket for a flag.  
  
In the end, Reno had been victorious, but they'd both been laughing so hard it hadn't really mattered. Yuffie had gone to bed in the small bedroom while Reno remained in the main room. She had started to drift off to sleep, shivering, when she'd been hit with something soft.  
  
Groaning, and too tired to fight back, Yuffie had sat up to find the blanket draped over her head. With a perfectly straight face and a look of righteous outrage, Reno had declared the blanket 'moth-eaten' and then stormed back off to the couch. Yuffie had been too tired to decide what to make of it, but she was privately grateful.  
  
This morning was much the same as the previous one, although slightly grayer. Yuffie got up and stretched, feeling better than before. She checked hurriedly outside her door before shutting it again and dressing. She'd worn the bathrobe to bed in the vague hope that putting on clean clothes in the morning would make everything all right. It wasn't much, but it gave her something to hope for. Equally, she was worried about hair to stop herself from worrying about everything else.  
  
She felt refreshed and after making the best of her hair, she went out to go find Reno. Only now was she finally realizing that maybe she should be worried about sharing a cabin with a known killer, but... But he was Reno. He may have been a Turk, and a damned good one, but he hadn't shown the least inclination to hurt Yuffie in any way. She decided not to worry about it until she had too.  
  
The Turk himself was not about when she came into the main room. Curious, Yuffie decided to have a look around for him.  
  
She didn't have to look far. As she stepped outside she could hear the sound of someone working not too far away. Taking her time, she breathed the fresh air and stretched. It was a little overcast, but a nice day nonetheless.  
  
Yuffie stepped down off the cabin's little front porch and went off into the small forest. The Wutaian continent didn't have many trees. The only forests you got were what anywhere else could be called a stand of trees. Following the sounds, Yuffie trudged through the underbrush towards the only other person around.  
  
Reno was working hard already. He had two holes dug, but there were six more to go and the day was rapidly warming up. He had tossed off his jacket after the first one and now only wore his white shirt that never seemed to stay neat or straight. Neither did it know the meaning of the word tie.  
  
Yuffie walked into the little clearing and stopped to admire how pretty it was before she realized what Reno was doing. Almost instantly her mood turned somber. This wasn't going to be a day she was going to associate in her memories with balloons and cake. Reno looked up when he saw her approach, his face flushed.  
  
"Ah. . . morning."  
  
"Morning."  
  
"Look, I'll be direct here. This is unpleasant business, and you don't want to be involved. Really."  
  
At his words, Yuffie felt her face go red with anger. What did he think she was, a child?  
  
"No, you look! I'm not going to sit around and watch you do all the work! Besides, if there's anyone I know then I owe them enough to bring the news back to their families."  
  
Reno stopped and stared at her outburst. He hadn't expected her to object. He'd been prepared to think of her as stuck up and probably lazy. She was quickly rearranging his thinking, and he found it disconcerting. He opened his mouth to object again, but stopped himself in time. Shaking his head, he just pointed back towards the cabin.  
  
"There's another shovel around back of the cabin, in the shed."  
  
Nodding stiffly, Yuffie turned her back and walked away to get the shovel without speaking again. How dared that idiot treat her like she was a helpless, ignorant little girl!? It infuriated her.  
  
As she strode back the way she'd came, Yuffie cooled down enough to wonder what had happened to Reno since Meteor. That had been three years ago and she hadn't heard a thing about any of the Turks since. She realized she'd never even wondered.  
  
Yuffie herself had spent the years working in Wutai to rebuild it up to the lofty capital it once had been. Having to spend day in and out with all those people she'd never known existed had changed Yuffie's whole perspective. While she was still the same brat she'd always been, she was more careful with what she said and more considerate of others. Still, that didn't mean she was going to take anything from anyone.  
  
She returned to the cabin and went around back. She'd barely been outside the day before, so she had to explore as she went. Sure enough, a small shed loomed out from the shadows, and Yuffie wondered what was in it. The ground was too rocky for serious gardening so it was a little out of place.  
  
To her surprise, she found the garden inside the shed. She opened the doors to find dozens of flats of flowers blooming in the poor light that came in through the two dirty windows. It was like a miniature green house but without the heat, insulation and smell. Smiling to herself, Yuffie bent down and smelled a particularly beautiful rose.  
  
The flowers were all of the small variety, and grew contained in large pots separated from one another to prevent the seeds from spreading. After enjoying the view for another few moments, Yuffie took the rusty shovel and closed the door behind her.  
  
Back in the clearing, Reno was hard at work. All right, so the babe wanted to help. It was a sort of cute gesture but it didn't really mean all that much. She'd probably be so busy complaining about the dirt under her fingernails that she'd only get a few shovel-fulls done before the end of the day. Maybe she wouldn't come back at all. Still, better to humor her.  
  
And so, it was to his great surprise that Yuffie came back with the shovel and a grim, determined expression on her face. Without saying anything to him, Yuffie easily dug the shovel in and started to dig at a furious pace. Momentarily stunned, Reno stared at her, his mouth hanging open.  
  
It was a minute before Yuffie realized that she was the only one digging. Looking up from the pit that was rapidly expanding, she shot Reno a baffled glance.  
  
". . .What?"  
  
Reno just shook his before laughing ruefully. Taking up his shovel again, he joined Yuffie in digging. They didn't talk much; it was hard work after all. Mentally, Reno had allocated two holes to Yuffie and four to himself, but she proved to be his equal. No sooner had he climbed out of his hole that he found himself facing Yuffie's feet. While pulling himself up, she had grinned at him. Her face was dirty and her hair a mess, but there was something very appealing about it.  
  
"What kept you?"  
  
Swearing under his breath, Reno had gone off to start the next grave. It was an unpleasant business all right, but with Yuffie around to banter with, the job seemed to go by much faster.  
  
"So, Turkey, I was wondering. What have you been up to these three years?"  
  
"Turkey!?"  
  
"It's as good a name as any."  
  
"I'm not making any bad puns on the word ninja."  
  
"You mean not yet." Laughing, they had continued to joke back and forth. Yuffie never really realized that every time she brought up the subject of the years since Meteor, Reno skillfully avoided the question.  
  
Yuffie had been wearing a pair of long pants, the type that unzip to become shorts at need. At one point, Yuffie had eagerly taken them down to shorts because of the heat, and while she was working, Reno had looked her over. And then, not to be outdone, he'd stripped off his sweat soaked shirt. The humid climate was making things interesting.  
  
After the previous day, Yuffie took this in stride, and had admired Reno's physique when she thought his back was turned. He'd seen her, of course, but concealed the fact with a grin. She wasn't a bad kid after all.  
  
Sometime - and hour or two - after noon, the two had finally finished the long job. It left them tired and sore, but Yuffie felt proud to have done her part. You don't spend two years building buildings and digging ditches without also building stamina. She may not be as strong as Reno but she had more practice.  
  
Next came the most unpleasant part.  
  
Reno decided to stop putting it off for the girl's sake, and headed purposefully for the beach. Yuffie jogged up to join him. Reno decided not to say anything until they got there.  
  
Reno didn't want to patronize the girl, but he didn't exactly want to see her have a breakdown, or whatever. He had to grudgingly admit that she was a decent enough person, and he didn't want to see her embarrass herself.  
  
Then they were there. Reno stopped just before they cleared the bracken to the beach. He turned to Yuffie, the concern on his face evident.  
  
"I know you wanna do this, but you gotta know. Drowned people aren't never very pretty. Just this once, listen. . ."  
  
Yuffie's look silenced him instantly.  
  
"I'm an sure as hell not going to be stopped by you. Now c'mon. We've got to finish this before midnight."  
  
Once again left in Yuffie's wake, Reno could only follow.  
  
When they came out on to the beach, the bodies were washed up here and there. It was an open beach and left nothing to hide the corpses from sight. The stench nearly overpowered Yuffie, and, despite herself, she retched. Reno shot her a glance, but she stood shakily back up.  
  
She stumbled over to the nearest person. The face was blue, bloated and indiscernible. There was no way she'd be able to tell any of them as the people she'd known back in Wutai. Even as her stomach churned, the thought saddened her.  
  
Reno was thinking more practical thoughts. He'd found some tarp behind the cabin and it would make a good shroud. He'd thought ahead enough to bring it down to the beach earlier and it lay nearby. Kneeling next to another body, Reno laid out the tough material before carefully rolling the body in it. His face was unreadable.  
  
When he stood up again, he found Yuffie watching him. She had adopted his cold, aloof expression. Taking her cue from him, she took some of the tarp and copied Reno's actions. Reno didn't move to help her; he was finally catching on to Yuffie's way of thinking. Instead he waited until she was finished and then went over and showed Yuffie how they could carry it between them.  
  
Picking the body up carefully, one at each end, they quietly maneuvered their way back to the clearing and laid the body in the grave. It was a bit shallow, but it would have to do. Without a word they went back to get the next one.  
  
And so, in silence, they moved all the bodies to the makeshift cemetery. There was no somber funeral procession to mourn the deceased, but there was an unspoken respect for them.  
  
It took a while to finish this part of the task, back and forth again and again, but eventually they put the last one in place. The last part was to bury them, and again, this was done in silence.  
  
When they finally finished the job, the sun had just finished sinking below the horizon. Too tired almost to walk, they stumbled back over towards the cabin. There would be no question of sleeping well tonight.  
  
Yuffie stumbled as they climbed the little hill before the cabin. Without thinking, Reno grabbed her arm and put his own around her to steady her. Yuffie was too tired to think or reject the unasked-for help. So, instead, they climbed unsteadily up the steps and inside. Reno nearly dropped Yuffie into her room before returning to his couch and collapsing onto it. He had left the shovels outside and would deal with them in the morning.  
  
He heard a sound and managed to turn to see what it was. A beyond tired Yuffie was holding a blanket out at arm's length. When Reno didn't move to take it, she shoved it at him before walking back to her room and shutting the door behind her.  
  
Reno couldn't think. Instead, he pulled the blanket over himself and fell immediately into dreamless slumber. He didn't even stay awake long enough to hear Yuffie cry herself to sleep.  
  
* * * *  
  
The next morning, Reno awoke late. He still felt totally drained, but there were only a few things to take care today. Feeling physically totally spent, Reno dragged himself outside to get the shovels. First order of the morning was to put them back in the shed. After that he'd see. And then. . . Well, more sleep was an attractive proposition.  
  
But as Reno opened the shed door, he was surprised to find. . . nothing. All the brightly colored flowers were gone. The pots were still there, mostly, but the flowers seemed to have gotten up and walked away. Totally confused, Reno just stood their wondering until a suspicion hit him.  
  
Laying down the shovels, Reno left the shed. Heading down the path past the cabin, he turned off into the forest. It wasn't a long walk to the clearing, but it was still almost too much for Reno after the day before. It had been too long since he'd had to go all out like that. As he came up to the clearing, Reno thought to himself that he was definitely going to take himself up on that sleep.  
  
Entering the clearing, Reno was greeted with quite a sight. Every one of the eight graves was now covered with the beautiful blooms. They seemed almost to be smiling at the sky, maybe still unmarked but not forgotten.  
  
Unable to stop himself, Reno smiled a true smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	4. Starting Out

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
Finally, they were both back on their feet. It had been a long wait for both Yuffie and Reno, but they were finally more less ready to hit the road again. It had taken another four days for the both of them to get back the strength they'd lost, but the time was finally right.  
  
To Yuffie, it was like a dream come true. The last four days stuck in a cabin with only Reno for company had been. . . interesting to say the least. She just wasn't able to figure where she stood with him. One moment they were swearing loudly at one another screaming about how they couldn't wait to get outta there, the next they were collapsing on the floor doubled over laughing.  
  
There was no time for regrets, however, as they searched the cabin one last time for anything else that might be useful along the way. So far they'd turned up two sleeping rolls - presumably the second had been for emergencies - the blanket, a package of matches, a large backpack and enough food to last them the couple day's trip to Wutai.  
  
To Reno's great horror, the pack of cigarettes he'd had during the shipwreck had washed up on the beach, totally soaked and ruined. He'd taken it as a personal insult and spent the rest of the day grumbling about it. To top it all off, there wasn't a drop of alcohol in the cabin.  
  
Anyway, they were both glad to be returning to civilization, and the final preparations were made with great rejoicing. And so, it was without reluctance that Yuffie stepped out onto the porch one last time and watched Reno shut the door behind him. They were on their way.  
  
By Reno's estimate they were about a two day's walk from Wutai, and there would be some minor hiking involved. This was perfectly fine with Yuffie, who had grown up hiking the Wutaian mountains. She was quite looking forward to it, to be perfectly honest with herself. She looked out over the little forest with a grin, it was sort of like meeting an old friend. Reno shot a questioning look.  
  
"You seem to be taking this walking thing pretty well."  
  
"Sure. Why? What were you expecting?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno. . . I just seem to remember a whiny ninja chick who couldn't do anything without complaining."  
  
He dodged her slap with a smirk. Yuffie couldn't help but smile back . "Well. . . Maybe. But that was a long time ago. I've done a lot since then, so give me a break."  
  
"Babe, you helped save the world. I think that's as big a break as you can get."  
  
Bantering between them, they had walked off into the forest. Yuffie carried the huge backpack and Reno with the two sleeping bags slung across his back. His bright hair was tied back in the typical ponytail, but it never seemed to stay there. Just like the rest of him it seemed to prefer unruliness. Yuffie's hands itched to brush it out of his face, but she kept that thought to herself.  
  
The path they took led into the forest and away from the beach. Yuffie hadn't been back since that Day, and didn't plan on it. Of course she'd heard all about Reno's cigarettes with great amusement, but she had resisted all his attempts to get her to go beachcombing with him.  
  
This particular path led northwards. Yuffie had an excellent sense of direction and was able to keep them going straight whenever the path faded out due to lack of use. Reno wasn't bad himself, just not used to tramping through the wilderness. Even so, he carefully kept pace with Yuffie and they talked about the time's they'd spent together three years ago. The most memorable was the Wutai incident, of course.  
  
Reno was laughing.  
  
"How could I ever forget? The proud lady of Wutai hung up by her ankles!" Yuffie laughed along with him.  
  
"It was my own fault too. I was so lucky that Cloud was there to save me from that icky old man." She sobered for a moment. ". . .Reno, if it was us you had been after, would you have dropped me off that cliff?"  
  
"It was you I was after."  
  
"Don't avoid the question."  
  
Reno hesitated a moment before answering truthfully.  
  
". . .Yes." They were both silent for the next few minutes until Yuffie broke the stillness.  
  
"Reno?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Would you still now?"  
  
"Why does it matter?"  
  
"I. . . don't know. I just have to know the truth."  
  
Reno thought about it as he walked. Pointed question indeed.  
  
"You know, I'm not sure. I'll have to get back to you on that one."  
  
Yuffie smiled faintly and let the question drop.  
  
It was a beautiful day for a walk, and about noon they came upon a small river. It was just a little too wide to jump, and it looked like it went on in both directions for a long ways. It sparkled in the sunshine and made Yuffie squeal with delight.  
  
She ran to the water's edge and surveyed the river. Small fish darted here and there, the light glittering on their silver scales. A little frog hid in the shadows of the reeds and Yuffie crouched down to watch him. Reno walked over and sighed. There didn't appear to be a bridge in sight, and the water was deep enough to get them both very wet.  
  
Yuffie stood up again and looked across the river. Turning to face Reno she had a haughty air on her face.  
  
"Good sir, the lady of Wutai has commandeered you to her purpose. She, er, I command you to carry me across this river."  
  
Reno gave her a look, but an evil thought flashed through his mind. Putting on his best winsome smile, he strolled nonchalantly up to Yuffie.  
  
"Oh, is that so? In that case I'll have to do something about it."  
  
Without any warning, his arms snaked out and pushed her forward. With a surprised cry, Yuffie grabbed Reno's arm as she fell, effectively pulling him into the river after her.  
  
They both came up a moment later, gasping for breath and laughing at the same time. The water was cool, but not unpleasant. Taking advantage of the situation, Yuffie raised her hand as if to fix her hair and then slapped it across the water's surface, sending a small wave Reno's way. Laughing, she swam away before he had a chance to react.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Reno caught sight of Yuffie stroking away. She was a good swimmer all right, but Reno knew he was better. With an evil smile he took a breath and dove under the water.  
  
A moment later, Yuffie gasped as she felt something grab her ankle. In an instant she was pulled under the water. She felt two hands push down on her shoulders, sending her downwards and Reno up. He broke the surface and treaded water, grinning as Yuffie came floundering back up. She spat water and glared furiously at Reno.  
  
"Why I oughtta . . ."  
  
The fight lasted another ten minutes until they were both tired. Dragging themselves up the opposite side they lay in the sunshine panting as the warm light did it's best to take the worst of the water out of their clothes. As Yuffie tried to dry out, Reno decided he could live with wet clothes and swam back across the river to get the pack and the sleeping rolls.  
  
When he'd brought them across, he and Yuffie made the best of it by having lunch on the sunny riverbank. All in all it was a pleasant hour spent.  
  
After they had eaten, Yuffie turned her attention to the distant ridge against the sky.  
  
"We should probably get going if we're ever going to get to Wutai. What d'you say to trying to reach the top of that ridge by tonight?"  
  
Reno shaded his eyes against the sun and watched the ridge.  
  
"You know what? You're on."  
  
Jumping up Reno grabbed the sleeping bags and ran off in the general direction of the ridge. Scrambling to her feet, Yuffie grabbed the large bag and took off after him.  
  
"Dammit Turkey, you're supposed to wait for me!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Early evening saw the pair of them climbing the ridge in question. Earlier on, Reno had hidden in the trees as Yuffie ran breathlessly past. He'd then taking great amusement in strolling up to her all composedly and being obvious about not commenting on the twigs and leaves in her hair. She'd almost killed him for that one and now it was time to repay the favor.  
  
Yuffie climbed nimbly up the thin ledges with practiced ease. Down below her Reno was having a lot more difficulty and Yuffie grinned as she heard muffled cursing from somewhere further down.  
  
"Hey, Turkey! You're gonna have to try harder then that!" She heard a thump.  
  
"Ow! Bloody hell. . . look what you made me do. Wait up, will ya!?"  
  
Laughing, Yuffie turned and scampered on ahead.  
  
The sun was just setting over the horizon on their first day of the trek as Reno reached up to haul himself over the top of the ridge. To his great surprise he felt a hand take his instead. Pulling hard, Yuffie Helped Reno up and watched with sparkling eyes as he lay on the ground panting. Anyway, they wouldn't go much further tonight.  
  
The last thing left to do was set up camp. It was an easy procedure; Reno lit the fire and Yuffie laid out the bed rolls. To Yuffie's complete surprise, Reno decided to cook dinner. Not that she'd wanted to, of course, but she'd sort of expected it anyway.  
  
They sat around the fire, on their sleeping bags as the stars came out. Reno wanted to tell a ghost story, but Yuffie was adamantly refusing. She sort of liked sleep and there were a lot of shadows about. Instead, Reno threw Yuffie a question that caught her off guard.  
  
"Hey, babe. Do you by any chance know a Mr. Hwen?" Yuffie looked up, wondering.  
  
"Yeah, sure. He's one of the biggest parts of the reconstruction of Wutai. Second only to dad, of course." The last bit was said a trifle smugly. "Why?"  
  
"Oh, ah, I was supposed to meet him on the cruise ship. An old friend, you understand. I never had the chance because of the storm, you see. I was just wondering if he'd made it after all."  
  
"It's funny, he's never mentioned you. Oh well. To be perfectly honest I never liked him. I don't think he ever got on the ship, though. I didn't know he was planning on it either."  
  
"So, he'd still be in Wutai?"  
  
"What? Yeah, I suppose so."  
  
"I'll have to drop by and see him when we get there then."  
  
Yuffie nodded and stared up at the stars. A cloud of fireflies arose from the tall grass and flew overhead. They lit up Yuffie's face and she smiled in the moonlight. Reno smiled too but he wasn't watching the fireflies. Yuffie sighed and burrowed into her sleeping bag.  
  
"G'night, Reno."  
  
"Good night babe."  
  
Yuffie heard as he settled down too, and listened as breathing slowed. She would be very sorry to see him go when they reached Wutai. Maybe she could ask him to stay and help with the rebuilding; he seemed to know people there and might be the glad for a chance to lend a hand.  
  
She wondered why she could see him walking away and not looking back. Shivering despite the warm sleeping bag, Yuffie curled up and wished the future away.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	5. Dangerous Times

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
Yuffie awoke early the next morning just before dawn broke. She'd had a strange dream last night, and she just couldn't seem to shake it off. She had had the same dream several times in the past couple of days - the shipwreck and the storm - but it had been different this time. Clearer. There had been someone else there, too, this time. Just as she had been pulled into the darkness she had found him, and she knew somehow it was a him, and they had clung together though all the waves had tried to pull them apart.  
  
Getting up, Yuffie walked over to the smoldering fire and poked it with a long stick. The embers sizzled a little, but only half-heartedly. Putting down the stick, Yuffie walked a little ways away to collect some firewood. It was still mostly dark and she would feel a lot better if she could get the fire going again. Not to mention that it might impress Reno.  
  
Laughing self consciously, Yuffie tried to block out the strange feeling that assailed her. Deciding to simply ignore it, she went out her task.  
  
Taking an armful of wood back to the fire, Yuffie passed Reno. She looked down at him and felt the corner of her mouth crook into a small smile. He was still asleep and he looked very peaceful. Yuffie couldn't help but notice how different he was from when he was awake; that smirk and the mischievous look to his eyes.  
  
She sighed and sat down next to the fire. In traditional Wutai fashion, the morning was quite cold, but the day would soon become very warm. For now however, it was important to get the fire started.  
  
The sun poured over the horizon, it's pale light setting the area ablaze with color. Strangely, however, the light seemed to be swallowed up by the clouds. Almost as soon as the sunlight touched the ground it was hidden away again by the gray blanket that stretched across the sky. It couldn't help but dampen Yuffie's spirits a little, but she busied herself with breakfast.  
  
When Reno awoke about an hour later, it was with great surprise that he found Yuffie setting out only slightly burned bacon and soggy oatmeal. After she leveled him a dangerous glare, he decided not to make any comments at all. Besides, he was actually quite grateful.  
  
The day was definitely shaping up to be unpleasant with rain clouds moving in at great speed. Not wanting to waste any time, the two companions decided to move out before they got bogged down by the weather. To their initial surprise, however, it seemed content to stay simply overcast for the time being.  
  
They tramped along, their feet getting wet quickly from the morning dew that seemed to have decided to take up permanent residence. The day had thrown its shadow over their spirits, and they didn't talk much. Each one was harboring their own gloomy thoughts about the upcoming day and the subsequent arrival.  
  
The next leg of the trip would lead them through another expanse of forest and then to Wutai. If they traveled quickly then they should be able to reach the growing city by nightfall.  
  
Walking along, Reno decided t pop the question.  
  
"Hey, ah. . . babe. I was just wondering. . . How would you feel if I stuck around Wutai for a bit to, you know, help with the reconstruction?"  
  
Yuffie suddenly felt her heart leap in her chest and start to beat a million miles an hour. She had to fight an uphill battle to keep her voice and face neutral.  
  
"Well, we're always in need of an extra pair of hands. . ."  
  
Reno grinned at her and Yuffie grinned back. It was impossible to stay angry with or about Reno - he was just too damned charismatic. Whether she wanted it to or not, Yuffie knew something was happening between them that might just become irreversible. She hoped they didn't get back to Wutai too soon. Reno gave her an enquiring look.  
  
"Hey, babe? You said that you were evacuated onto the ship. What was that all about? Is something going down in Wutai?"  
  
"I don't know totally myself. About a week and a half ago, some soldiers turned up at our gates demanding that we surrender or be destroyed. You can imagine how that went down." Reno chuckled.  
  
"Undoubtedly. Especially after all the building you guys have been doing. But, still, that could be serious. Were there a lot of them?"  
  
"About four dozen, or so I was told. They threatened to bring in the 'troops' if we didn't comply, but there weren't enough to actually worry about. My father sent down a group of workers to chase them off."  
  
"So.? Does this actually go somewhere?"  
  
He received a withering look.  
  
"Well the ship arrived in Wutai shortly after, and there was word going round that there was a battle on the horizon. Well, Wutai's been training since the last skirmish with the Shinra, so nobody worried really. Except one night, my father and a whole bunch of the other warriors went from house to house and got all the other people out and onto the ship. I wanted to stay, but dad said that as the lady of Wutai I needed to be safe above all else to lead the people if anything ever happened to him."  
  
"Sound reasoning, I think."  
  
"It didn't matter what I thought. I was herded onto the ship with everyone else and given no chance to protest. The ship left immediately and we were all frightened. Nothing like this had ever been done before, but I think I've got why they did it."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"As I said, we've been getting ready for the next war since the end of the last one, and we're probably the most elite fighting force on the Planet now that Shinra's been disbanded. Still, open tactics have never been Wutai's strong point, and what's around Wutai? Open fields largely. We've built a large complex near the entrance that just goes around in circles unless you know what you're doing. I think the plan may have been to lure the smaller forces inside and then take them down from atop the walls."  
  
"But aren't you worried that they could get in? I mean, what with all the new buildings a fire could be disastrous."  
  
"It's impossible. No one could get in unless they were admitted."  
  
Reno just walked along, thinking. Wutaians were known as fierce fighters and going up against them was largely crazy. And to do so with a smaller force. . . Well, he just hoped they knew what they were getting into. Maybe there'd be a few left to repent their deed. Maybe.  
  
The path led into the thin forest once again, and the dark foliage overhead blocked out what weak light there was. It was almost like walking back into the night. Water dripped off the branches and splashed down the backs of their necks. Pretty soon they were both chilled and thoroughly unhappy with the state of the world.  
  
The oddest part of the whole experience was that it seemed to be getting darker as they went on, instead of lighter. Reno was rather depressed by this. He kept waiting for it to rain, but it never did. That was the weather for you. It doesn't rain except when you least expect and want it to.  
  
The morning passed in a damp and dark haze, and soon both Reno and Yuffie were starving and tired. The path had disappeared on them and they were constantly fighting their way through bracken that whipped and slashed at them as they passed. At one point Reno had yelped when a stinging plant had left a long gash across his arm. But, despite that he gritted his teeth and pressed onwards.  
  
At about noon, they were both all too happy to set their stuff down in a clearing and have something to eat. Lunch sounded very good on a day like this. As they sat down in the wet grass, Reno looked around before settling down. Yuffie was curious.  
  
"What's up? Something wrong?"  
  
"No. . . Maybe. I'm not sure."  
  
"C'mon, Turkey. What's going on?"  
  
"I'm not totally sure, but I've been seeing some weird things in the forest. Not anything definite, mind you, just strange shapes just out of sight."  
  
"You mean, like shadows darting through the trees?" Reno's looked at her sharply. "What? You saw them too?" She nodded. "This might be more serious then I though then. If had been just me, well, I'm used to seeing people hiding in the shadows and I'm known for my overactive imagination. But if you saw them too. . ."  
  
He trailed off and picked up the sandwich he'd made. The two of them ate in silence. It wasn't exactly like it was a thick forest where monsters would be hiding. If there were any creatures out there at all then they should be small, fuzzy and cute.  
  
After finishing lunch, Reno got up purposefully.  
  
"Babe, I'm just going to go have a look around for whatever it was we saw. Probably just some squirrels or something, but I'd better check anyway." Yuffie climbed to her feet.  
  
"Right."  
  
"H-huh? Did I miss something here?"  
  
"If there are evil creepy crawlies in this forest then your sure as hell not going to leave me alone here."  
  
Reno sighed.  
  
"Fine. Whatever. Just come on if you're coming then. We'll come back and get the stuff in a little while, okay?"  
  
Nodding, Yuffie followed Reno into the trees once more.  
  
The forest was dark and silent. Reno hated to use the cliché, but it was a damn sight too quiet for his taste. It was almost as if the forest was holding it's breath. Nothing stirred at all; not even the irritating mosquitoes that made this place so much fun. Frowning, he slid through the trees.  
  
They circled around the little stand where their stuff was before going any further onwards. They didn't want to waste time, but with the large backpack and the sleeping rolls there was no way to go about undetected. It was better to lose some time and be safe rather than sorry. Reno had learned that the hard way long ago. He had the scars to prove it.  
  
Just as he was about to propose returning, a tiny crack of a branch and the rustle of leaves nearby made him freeze on the spot. Yuffie opened her mouth to ask what the problem was, but Reno raised a hand and cut her off. After dropping the hand again, he raised a finger to his lips. He silently gestured for Yuffie to follow him.  
  
Sliding behind a large tree, Reno stopped to observe whatever was going on. Yuffie was very impressed. She had thought she could move quietly, but when Reno was trying not to be heard there wasn't even the whisper of sound. He reminded her eerily of a predator on the hunt, and, she reminded herself grimly, he had been dozens of times before.  
  
They stood in the shadows watching as the forms appeared. They moved quickly and quietly, always staying out of direct sight. There were about seven of them, maybe more. Reno was unable to tell because of the way he things moved. They were large, whatever they were, in fact about the size of a man. And perhaps that's what they were.  
  
Feeling more confident with the realization that they were almost certainly just people, Reno prepared to go find out what they were up to. Seven or eight men were no match for a Turk, even an unarmed one.  
  
That was when they heard the high-pitched squeal. The sound cut through Reno's brain like an ice-tipped dagger. In real pain, he stumbled around to see Yuffie with her hands clutched over her ears, on her knees. Her eyes were shut tight and she was trying in desperation to shut out the terrible noise.  
  
And then, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. It was a moment before either Reno or Yuffie noticed, however. His head screaming bloody murder, Reno got up from where he'd fallen not far from Yuffie. Turning slowly, his eyes followed the direction from where the sound had come.  
  
Yuffie had also climbed painfully to her feet and walked over beside him. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Reno ventured forward again. Whatever had made that sound was nothing human, and most likely dangerous. If he could find it and take it down before Yuffie got involved they'd be a whole lot safer.  
  
The strange black shaped had been not far from the tree where they had hidden, and Reno crept up towards the place. It was another small opening in the trees, not unlike the one they had left behind. It seemed empty now, whatever had been here before having left nothing standing that he could see. Cautiously, both he and Yuffie stepped out into the open.  
  
That was when they saw it. A fully-grown bear lay stretched out on the ground, ripped open from throat to abdomen. Its skin had been pealed back and it's insides ripped to pieces. Yuffie clutched a hand to her mouth to try to stop the bile that rose at the back of her throat. Reno looked the dead animal over. When he spoke it was very quietly.  
  
"Babe, we gotta move, and fast. There's nothing natural that could do this."  
  
"But, the stuff. . ."  
  
"We ain't got no time for the stuff. We gotta move. Anything that could do that to a bear isn't going to have much trouble with you or me. I may be a Turk but I've never seen anything like that before."  
  
"Reno. . ." She stood quietly for a second. "Alright. Let's go."  
  
That was when the howling picked up. From all around them a great, terrible noise rose from the throats of creatures no forest had ever seen before. Grabbing Yuffie's hand, Reno started to run.  
  
"Looks like they're not going to give us a choice!"  
  
They plunged into the trees, running as fast as they could. The uneven ground of the forest seemed to reach up to trip them with a hundred little obstacles, but neither stumbled or faltered. The baying of the creatures became more excited as they found a real chase at last.  
  
If Reno didn't know better he would have sworn they were wolves, but the way their voices sounded hollow and above all, old, told him they were not. Tree branches stretched out like twining arms; trying to grab the two people who ran with all hell on their trail. Cold fear coursed through Reno's veins, a sensation he hadn't felt in years.  
  
A huge boulder loomed ahead of Reno and Yuffie, and Reno swung to the right, trying to think fast. There had to be a way to throw the things off. He wondered vaguely how things had turned around so quickly. Not good.  
  
Reno's trained eye spotted a large puddle/small watering hole. This might be their only chance to get away. He made a dash for the water and pulled Yuffie after him. She yelped and tumbled in after him. Running through the water Reno grabbed a branch and swung himself up.  
  
Launching himself forward he misjudged and went flying over what he had thought was a small hill. Instead it proved to be a small ridge with a sheer drop into a briar patch. Yuffie came tumbling after him, and didn't even have time to scream as she fell into the darkness.  
  
They hit the ground hard after the brief free fall. Yuffie found herself gasping for breath and thoroughly scratched up. She tried to get up, but Reno pulled her back down again. For a second there was silence, and then the baying started anew. And, true to everything Reno believed in, it began to rain.  
  
* * * *  
  
Night finally fell on Reno and Yuffie, shivering and miserable in the bramble bush. The howls and high shrills moving always around. The darkness and cold pressed in on them, and they tried not to make a sound. The rain continued to fall and they were both soaked and chilled to the bone.  
  
Yuffie lay curled up on the ground, shivering continually. There were no stars or moon to judge time by, but Reno guessed it was about an hour before midnight. Yuffie looked so sad and cold, the rain running down her face and closed eyes; Reno felt a pang of sadness. He felt a strange pride for this young woman and now here she was. Her shivering was growing worse and he was a little worried.  
  
Lying down beside her he wrapped his arm around her to give her what little warmth he could offer. Only now did he notice the scratches down her arms and legs. Closing his eyes he tried to imagine a world where they were somewhere warm and safe, but above all, together.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	6. Tragedy

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 6  
  
  
  
As it will, night came and went. It seems to do that a lot. Nearly every night in fact.  
  
The rain had stopped several hours ago, and the ground was finally starting to dry out a little. The sky remained gray, but it showed signs of getting lighter eventually. With the promise of sunlight, the whole forest seemed alive once more.  
  
Reno and Yuffie awoke early that morning to the sounds of the birds singing in the trees. Because they were hearing it for the first time upon entering the forest, only now did they notice that it had been missing all along.  
  
They were both cold and stiff, but Yuffie seemed none the worse for the wear. Hunger had set in after the terror of the previous night had left, but there wasn't much of a question about going back. Reno had his suspicions that even were they to do so they wouldn't find anything at all. Whatever had been following them the night before seemed to have disappeared with the stars however, and he wasn't about to complain. Yuffie was trying her best to be irritable, but so close to home she just couldn't bring herself to it.  
  
Yuffie had had the same dream again, and it left with that strange feeling again. It had been stronger this time, and she felt a strange pull from the depths of her mind. The guy in her dreams seemed to be reaching for her as the morning pulled them apart, and she'd felt her heart wrench to abandon him to the cold waters, alone and terrified.  
  
She'd woken up to find Reno beside her, and though she knew she should at least be ticked off with him, she just felt grateful. But for some reason he seemed further away today. . . It wasn't him exactly; it was more like she was somewhere else. Her dream haunted her waking mind and she couldn't throw it off.  
  
She tried to fix her damp hair and even damper clothing but soon gave it up as a lost cause. Reno was in slightly better condition; his hair always seemed to look unruly no matter what. No petty hairbrush or night in the rain was going to make a difference. Yuffie smiled because it was something she knew she'd always remember about him. That was a strange thought but she couldn't quite figure out where it'd come from. Oh well, probably nothing important.  
  
"Reno, how far do you think we are from Wutai? I'd kinda like to be getting home soon."  
  
"Well, since you asked babe, I figure we should be there by late morning or early afternoon. We came further than I thought yesterday."  
  
"Finally, some good news!" She leaned against a tree trunk nearby. "So, Turkey, given any thoughts to what you'll be doing afterwards?"  
  
"Well, I thought maybe I'd find the biggest building project in Wutai, swear until everybody else leaves and then start over from scratch."  
  
Yuffie grinned at him.  
  
"Sounds like a good plan. You know Reno. . ." She dropped her eyes a little. "I was just sorta wondering if you're doing anything now that you could put off maybe permanently?" Reno gave an inquiring smile. "Well, I was just thinking I could probably get you a job with the weapons shop or maybe even my father's personal retinue."  
  
To Yuffie's surprise, Reno flushed a little.  
  
"Don't make any mistakes, babe. I don't accept charity from no one. I've got a steady job to go back too and I don't need your kindness." Now it was Yuffie's turn to get angry.  
  
"No, you're making a mistake! You think I'd recommend you as a favor!? My father only takes the best, and I've seen first hand that you a damned sight more competent then most!"  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean. . ."  
  
"No, just forget it."  
  
For reasons neither could really understand, they didn't discuss the night before. It was like a whole different world and neither wanted to go there again. And so, to avoid the questions that were sure to ask themselves sooner or later, they settled into bickering as they started once again picking through the forest.  
  
It was slow going at first, but they were nearing the edge of the forest and after that it was a straight march up to Wutai. The country was largely flat, but they were approaching Wutai from the southwest where a large hill rose above the city and hid it from view. Yuffie fondly remembered sliding down that hill as a child. Nearby was a small group of trees that she had also spent a long time in, playing hide and seek with the other children.  
  
A half hour of walking saw them to the very outskirts of the forest, Yuffie felt as if she'd never been happier in her life. Running out onto the plain, Yuffie held out her arms and twirled around while laughing. Reno joined in the laughter, and he smiled at her in a way that made her knees go weak.  
  
"So, babe, if I'm going to be in Wutai for a while you're going to have tell me a little about it. All my previous adventures there largely involved Turtle's Paradise, and I've heard it's changed a lot since then."  
  
They strolled along, enjoying the open sky. It wasn't blue, more like a dingy gray, but it was a lot better then trees. They both laughed as Yuffie told stories about her life in Wutai, and Reno listened.  
  
Three years ago lost in a black depression Reno had thrown away his chances at a real life. Maybe this was the second chance they always told you about. He drank in Yuffie's words.  
  
"There was this one time my friend Tess got really drunk, she was only seventeen, don't ask how that happened. Anyway, Vincent was over visiting because, you know, he likes to drop in from time to time, and Tess just saw him walking along. She grabbed this black sheet and wrapped it around herself screeching that she had to destroy the 'minion of darkness'. Then she jumped on him and before starting to imitate a bat. Poor Vince was traumatized and hid in my house for three days."  
  
Reno joined in her laughter. Real friends, real family, a real home. Sounded nice. He'd never had it to lose and Reno definitely decided it was something he'd have to try. The great Turk working real hours? Well, if the shoe fits, he thought with a grin. And, looking at Yuffie, Reno felt like wouldn't be any doubt.  
  
The hours wore on, but Yuffie's chatter filled the day with the sort of fierce joy that only memories like those could bring. Reno only broke in once in a while to make a bad joke, and Yuffie would swat him before they started laughing again. There may have been nicer ways to spend an afternoon, but Yuffie wouldn't have counted on it.  
  
The hill grew closer and closer until they could see it silhouetted against the sky. When the reached the base of the hill however, they paused before starting the climb. They were both in top shape and could have walked for hours longer, but Yuffie just wanted to savor the moment.  
  
"C'mon Reno, this is it! The last part of our very strange little misadventure!"  
  
"Your point?"  
  
"Oh, I know every romantic part of you is dieing to make this last few minutes special."  
  
"Since when do I have a romantic side?"  
  
"You mean I noticed and you didn't!?"  
  
Reno grinned. "Well, if that really is the case, then. . . I'll race you there!"  
  
He raced off before Yuffie could close her mouth again. She couldn't help herself. Breaking into helpless laughter she took off after him.  
  
The hill was steep and Reno was running slowly for her benefit. She caught him easily and tackled him before he could get away. Play fighting on the ground, Reno tried to shake her off.  
  
"Hey, hold on! If you're not careful we'll roll all the way back down the damned hill!"  
  
"Would that be a bad thing?"  
  
Laughing again, Yuffie managed to get up first but was quickly followed by Reno. Looking behind her, she put on an extra burst of speed as she cleared the top of the hill. Breathless with excitement, Yuffie turned to view her city for the first time in what felt like years.  
  
There was nothing.  
  
Black smoke curled up against the melancholy sky, painting a sad portrait of the charred ruins that laid sprawled across the plains. Black ashes floated through the air and the smell of burning rose like the flames it had surly followed.  
  
Wutai had been burned to the ground.  
  
Yuffie stared out in horrified non-comprehension. "This isn't. . . This can't be. . . can't be real. . ." Her scream reached the uncaring sky.  
  
* * * *  
  
Reno had half dragged Yuffie down the hill and into the tree line. His heart had also dropped when he'd seen it, but Yuffie was beyond devastated. He sat her against a tree, and she stared blankly in front of her.  
  
"Babe, come on. . . Please!" He could hear the pleading in his own voice. "You've gotta come back!"  
  
Yuffie made no response or even any sign that she'd heard him. Hating himself, Reno shook her shoulders hard. Her head fell forward but when she raised it again, her eyes stared into Reno's. There was a terrible anger there, and for a minute it almost scared him.  
  
"You utter bastard. Why didn't you eve do anything!? Why!!" She screamed the last word and Reno winced.  
  
"I don't understand what you mean."  
  
"Am I not good enough for you!? Tell me goddamnit!"  
  
Understanding dawned on Reno's face, and then a sickly expression.  
  
"You don't know. . ."  
  
"You've had your fun with every other woman you've ever met, what the hell is wrong with me!?"  
  
Reno choked. "Yuffie, I've wanted to hold you since I first saw you. . ."  
  
"Then why?" She was sobbing now.  
  
"Because. . . Because I'm six bloody years older than you, because I'm a bastard, because. . ."  
  
Suddenly tears were falling freely down Yuffie's cheeks, her face a mask of complete loss.  
  
"I want my dad, my home my bed, my life. . ." She began to cry even harder.  
  
To her astonishment, she suddenly found Reno's lips meeting hers. He gathered her into his arms as their mutual despair took its course.  
  
And, because nature doesn't want to become predictable, there was a moment of beautiful sunlight before total darkness swallowed the sun.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuffie was awash in the dark sea as the storm tried to drown her again and again. Only the man she was clinging too was stopping her from slowly sinking into the eternity below. And she him.  
  
No noise could be heard except the pounding of the waves in her ears and the lightning tearing the sky in two. But somehow, Yuffie could hear him calling her name, asking her not to leave him to drown all alone. She could feel his fear and sadness knowing that she would inevitably leave him again.  
  
The tears rolled down Yuffie's face in her dream as she knew the choice she would make. It hurt her so much, but she had to do what she thought was right. The man reached out to her and she to him - and then she awoke.  
  
When she opened her eyes, her face was wet. She lay in Reno's arms, their clothing lying nearby. Unselfconsciously, she arose and left him to sleep. She dressed quickly, after drying her cheeks. Now her eyes were steely and there was no hint of giving in no matter how much it might hurt.  
  
She stood facing the rising sun. She and Reno had spent the afternoon together and slept entwined in each other's arms. Now he woke up to find her gone. Frowning slightly, he yawned and sat up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around to see her standing there with her back to him.  
  
Deciding she must be recuperating from yesterday, Reno gave her a moment's quiet as he got up and dressed. After throwing on his shirt Reno walked over to Yuffie with a smile on his face and the full intention of taking her in his arms.  
  
When he went to touch her, however, she spun around to face him. The expression on her face was what stopped him dead, however.  
  
"Good bye Reno."  
  
"W-what. . .? I don't understand. . ."  
  
"I'm going. Leaving. I can't stay here, not with you. I'm so sorry, but then again, there'll be someone else. There always is for you Reno."  
  
"You can't be serious!? Not after everything that's happened!"  
  
"I said I'm sorry. . ."  
  
"No! Yuffie, you're the most amazing person I've ever met! For the first time in years I feel like I'm alive again! When I'm with you I feel happy, I feel scared, I feel head over heels in love with you!" Yuffie didn't answer.  
  
"You gave me a life after I wasted all my chances! You can't just walk away now. You can make me laugh like no one else ever could!"  
  
"Reno." She started quietly. "There was someone else in that storm. He saved me from the darkness and now he needs my help. It's him, Reno. Not you."  
  
Her last sentence hurt him like he'd never imagined anything could.  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
Without looking back she turned again and began to walk away towards the ruins of once had been the mighty Wutai. The rising sun silhouetted her figure before the glare made Reno look away. When he looked back she was gone.  
  
His eyes stung. He wished he still knew how to cry.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	7. Survivors

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 7  
  
  
  
Yuffie walked towards the ruins of Wutai, her back straight, her teeth clenched. This hurt like nothing ever had, but Yuffie Kisaragi would never back down or admit she had been wrong. That was one of the first lessons you learned when you had a father like she did. He was proud, spiteful and expected the best from his daughter. Yuffie had tried her whole life to measure up to his standards.  
  
Godo had always believed that Yuffie would be the next ruler of Wutai and hadn't hesitated to tell her so. Until the Meteor incident those three years ago she had never wanted to believe him, never listened. One time Yuffie had tried to run away to become a Materia Hunter.  
  
But after Meteor she had come home a celebrity and everything had changed. The way people treated her had changed especially. She had gone instantly from spoiled brat down the street to hero of their city, and Yuffie had felt like she had to live up to them.  
  
Wutai had grown and changed with the fall of Shinra; touristy was a fine thing but there are many other ways to earn a living. And many of them will let you look at your reflection in the morning.  
  
Pride was at the heart of everything Wutaian, as Yuffie well knew. She remembered Tseng, the Turks great leader before he had been killed at the Temple of the Ancients. He had been born in Wutai but moved to Midgar when he was quite young. Yuffie had never really known him, but during their chase after Sephiroth she'd recognized him as a kindred spirit - figuratively.  
  
And now this is what she had to rule over. The remains of the great walls that had surrounded Wutai smoldered and teetered dangerously in the lightest breeze. Not that there was a lot left. Almost every house and shop had been burned to the ground, and the beautiful pagoda had been completely leveled.  
  
Yuffie walked down what had been the main street, and flinched as piece of scorched material whispered past her face. She reached up and caught it before staring at it. It had once been green with an ornate gold crest upon it. It was the Wutaian flag. She clenched her hand tightly around it before stalking on towards the resting place of the inn.  
  
If anyone had survived the brutal conflict, then they would be hiding underground in the secret chamber where long ago Cloud had found Don Corneo. Yuffie knew all the hiding laces in Wutai, but knew also that this one was her best bet. Any survivors had to be found so she could get them somewhere safe - and get the story of what happened from them.  
  
A street branched off the right, and although Yuffie knew it was the wrong way, her feet took her down there. The biggest house in Wutai, besides the pagoda, had been down this way. Her house.  
  
All the bridges had been torn down and she had to tramp through the stream. She didn't mind getting her feet wet but it felt like she was the only one alive in a ghost town. Trying to ignore the anguish starting to come alive again behind her mask, Yuffie concentrated on the spooky. Spooky was good because you always knew where you stood with goosebumps.  
  
Yes, there it was. Her house where she had lived since before she could remember. You almost couldn't tell it had been a house any more. Whoever had done this had done their work well.  
  
No, she couldn't be here now. There was no time to mourn. Turning around again, Yuffie started to run back the way she'd come. She ran from the ghosts of her memories that she knew should still be laughing and playing. She ran past a black hole she knew all too well as Tessa's house; her best friend since they were children. They'd nearly beaten each other to death in a fight over a Shiva doll, and had been inseparable ever since.  
  
Further down was the twin's house where the little three year olds would sit and play on the porch every morning. Tessa and she often took them out for walks or outside the city to go sliding down the hill in the winter.  
  
And further on, Old man Grant who would sit in front of his house and talk for hours with anyone who would listen. He always had a smile ready for anybody and practical advice for when it was most needed.  
  
And now it was gone, they were gone. Yuffie didn't know what had happened to Tessa although the twins had been on the boat. There hadn't been room for that many people on the ship as it had already been a quite full cruiser. She'd searched everywhere for Tessa on that ship but without success.  
  
Yuffie rounded the corner and slowed down, her face burning but not from the heat. That was when the thought occurred to her. Where the bodies of the people? It Wutai had been trampled as badly as it looked then the streets should be littered. As much as the thought sickened her, Yuffie had to admit it made sense. But instead there was no one, anywhere.  
  
She didn't want to think about it. To be given hope when you know there is no hope to be had is a cruel thing, and Yuffie refused to do that to herself. Continuing on towards her original destination, she headed back towards the underground hideout.  
  
This section of town was as bad as the others, maybe worse. The pagoda that had towered strong and tall overhead forever was not a bit of crumbling stone. Yuffie didn't know what could so completely ruin a stone building, but it had been done. The elegant columns and staircases were cracked and strewn across the ground. The beautiful colored windows had been smashed into tiny shards that reflected the light as tiny rainbows.  
  
Trying not to look, Yuffie went over to the ashes that had been the small building that hid the chamber. The mechanism to open the way was obviously destroyed, but Yuffie knew where the other one was concealed. It had been installed in case of emergency.  
  
Yuffie got down on her hands and knees before scrounging around in the dirt. It had to be here somewhere. . . Oh yes. A stone buried in the ground like a cobble, indistinguishable from any other. It had been the perfect place to hide it.  
  
Yuffie dug her nails into the hairline crack between the stone and the ground. Surprisingly, it lifted without too much struggle. After lifting it about a quarter of an inch, instead or raising it out she simply let it fall back down. With satisfaction she heard the click and then saw a small portion of the earth slide aside.  
  
She got to her feet again, and examined the stairway critically. It didn't look as if it had been damaged, and so it probably hadn't been found. Gathering her courage, Yuffie strode down the stairs, one at a time.  
  
When she reached the bottom, she was silhouetted by the sun in the dark room, and had to shade her eyes see anything at all. There were. . . Were there? Yes, there were! A group of people sat huddled in a corner, watching her fearfully. Four men, a woman ad two children were wondering if they had been discovered at last. Suddenly realizing the situation, Yuffie stepped out of the light so they could see her.  
  
One of the men who Yuffie recognized as a long time acquaintance jumped to his feet excitedly.  
  
"Your ladyship!? Can that really be you!?" He ran over to her and grabbed her hand excitedly.  
  
"It is! Omni be praised! Everyone, it's alright! It's only her ladyship!"  
  
The people got to their feet, though somewhat warily, but they seemed genuinely excited to see her.  
  
"Oh your ladyship!  
  
"Lady, you're. . . Thank the gods!"  
  
"You won't believe. . ."  
  
The first young man raised his hand for silence. His name was Ben, and he was a year older than Yuffie. The other men were older, all between thirty and fifty. The woman looked to be in her early thirties and the two children about six and ten. Ben gave Yuffie a respectful look.  
  
"Your ladyship, someone has heard our wishes and sent you to us! We have been hoping against hope that you would come!"  
  
"Ben. . . Please, everyone, calm down. I need to know what has happened here. It is very important!"  
  
"Yes. . . Of course, your ladyship. Please, excuse us. We were overcome with joy to see you still alive and well." He made a gesture including the rest of the people in the chamber.  
  
"We were the lucky ones who were able to get down here in time. You see, the night after the ship departed, a great host assailed our gates. We stood strong to meet them, sure we were safe inside the walls. But they came, ladyship, they came with a leader dressed in a long blue cloak. His face was hidden from us, but it mattered not. He led the dark warriors right through the Maze and up to the gates."  
  
Yuffie stared at him, amazed.  
  
"It is true, ladyship. And then they laid siege to our gates and many of them climbed the bare wood itself. The guards were flung to the others below and the men who had been lying in wait were butchered on the walls. Then they opened the gates and let the others in."  
  
"How. . . How is this possible!?!"  
  
"I know not my ladyship, but they flooded into our city by the hundreds. They were soldiers of darkness who even in close combat we could not see properly. Sometimes they were as men, other times as great hounds.  
  
"They did not seem content to occupy, but instead came to destroy. Fire seared our homes and the homes of all those we knew and loved. They destroyed everything they touched and left nothing standing."  
  
"But, Ben! Where did all the people go!?"  
  
"That is the strangest part of the story, ladyship. The warriors arms themselves seemed as blades and they cut as if they were. Many of them carried shadowy bows which when they hit their enemies, caused them to disappear."  
  
"What, poison?"  
  
"Nay, ladyship, I mean disappear. The people who were hit's forms seemed to waver and then float apart into the air itself. The strongest warriors could not stand up to a single blow. Neither could our weapons injure them, your ladyship. Magic either. It seemed for a time as if they were invincible.  
  
"But your brave father stood strong and called his fighters to his side. Together they found that they could hurt the dark soldiers, but I understand not how. They said that it was in the Materia, not the magic, and that the Materia was a focus for belief and hope. The fighters put the Materia into their weapons and stood ready to fight. Then your father called out for them to make their dreams the blade and to believe that they could cut the very air itself, and they could.  
  
"Those who they could reach, namely us, were herded to this place though I tried to go to your father's aid. The battle raged between them, but our troops were fiercely outnumbered."  
  
"And. . . My father?"  
  
"I'm sorry ladyship, he did not make it. The last thing I saw before I was pushed into this hole was an arrow hit your brave father. Lord Godo continued to fight even as he form grew indistinct, and it seemed he would win over the terrible magic. But even as he struggled, a hail of arrows struck your father, and with a last battle cry he broke apart and was gone as the others."  
  
Yuffie was stunned. Her father, Lord Godo was dead. Although she had known it was so, she had not wanted to. She wanted to rage her grief to the heavens, but no. There would be time for crying later. She began to tell Ben not to call her ladyship, they had known each other far too long, but then she stopped herself.  
  
Long ago, her father had told her that in a crisis, people need a leader, not a friend. She remembered it well. Do not offer forgiveness, kindness, pity. To be kind, sometime you have to be cruel. If there was ever a time for Yuffie to do what her father had believed she could, it was now.  
  
"Ben, I know you are a competent man and can be trusted to get out of here without my supervision. I need you to take these people somewhere else, somewhere safe."  
  
"But where. . ."  
  
"I suspect soon there will be nowhere safe, but I would sooner you were far away from here. We have several ships and small boats moored upwards along the coast about a day's walk from here. I want you to take a small vessel and make your way to Rocket Town. There's a man named Cid Highwind there.  
  
"Go to him and tell him what has happened. He will surely give you a place to stay until something better presents itself. Please ask him to send word to a man named Cloud and a woman called Tifa. But also tell him they are not to get themselves involved. This is something I will handle on my own."  
  
For a moment there was silence. Yuffie had never given orders like this before, but she knew what she was doing. Finally, the young man nodded.  
  
"As you wish, ladyship. I wish you well. But, before you depart I wish to give you your Conformer. Lord Godo gave it to me for you just before they took their final stand." Yuffie took it in her hand and gazed at it. It had been a long time since she'd held this thing. Well, they say you never forget, and even as she held it in her hand, Yuffie could feel it coming back. She smiled faintly.  
  
"Thank you, Ben. You'd better get going.  
  
"Oh, ah, one last thing, ladyship. They came from the east." He smiled, although it was a worn one. "Goodbye, ladyship. May you live for us to see you again."  
  
And with that, they were gone. Yuffie watched them climb the stairs and felt suddenly very alone. Yuffie thought briefly of Reno. An army of nearly invincible black soldiers against one ninja chick?  
  
Well, she was a ninja chick with a vengeance.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	8. Living Shadows

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
  
They had attacked just before dawn. Yuffie had spent the night in the rubble of her house. She hadn't wanted to leave until the next day and it was the only place she felt comfortable. But Wutai was a haunted place for her now, and troubled memories refused to leave her in peace. And, to top it all off, the dream had returned, stronger and more anguished then ever. It had been a restless night for the young ninja.  
  
Just as the stars were fading and the moon falling gently from the sky, Yuffie had been awakened by something that should not be. No sound came to her waiting ears, but she'd lain awake, every muscle in her body tense with waiting. Her senses told her that something was not right at all.  
  
Crawling slowly up, Yuffie had cast off the ragged blanket she'd found and silently grasped her Conformer. Although she feared it would offer her little protection from the things that waited, she would not go down without a fight. She was, after all, her father's daughter.  
  
She was almost instantly alert and awake, and Yuffie fled into the shadows. Someone or something was moving about in the darkness. The faintest of sounds whispered past her ear, and Yuffie pushed herself further out of sight. Well, two could play at that game. Besides, the sun would be up soon and there would be no hiding after that.  
  
Moments later, the first rays of light touched Wutai and it became too late for surprise of behalf of the attackers. As the darkness became steadily less dark, Yuffie could now discern half a dozen dark figures trying to keep out of sight. It was hard to see them, but with a careful eye she followed their movements. The sun rose a little higher and Yuffie thought smugly to herself. There was no way anything could sneak up on Yuffie Kisaragi. . .  
  
In an instant Yuffie was flung into the pale light. A black arm threw her at the ground hard. Bounding up in an instant, Yuffie tried to take stock. One of them had been circling around behind her the entire time. Crap. There were seven of them in total, and they advanced slowly on their prey. Yuffie had no illusions about their capabilities after the story she'd heard, not to mention their encounter in the woods, but she also knew herself.  
  
Yuffie gave as good as she got.  
  
The first one moved out of the shadows and into view. Or, at least, it should have. It almost seemed to wrap itself in the shadows; its form never seemed to be quite solid. Living shadows, that's what they were. For the first time since she'd awoken, Yuffie felt the chill of fear. Where the thing's face should have been was just a darkness, as if hidden by great black cloak. They seemed so familiar, too. . .  
  
With a speed and accuracy Yuffie had not predicted, it lunged at her. Swearing, she only just managed to dive out of the way. She realized she was half expecting the others to swarm after her, but none came. Straightening up again, she stood in a circle of the creatures. They stared at her in faceless silence, and Yuffie felt cold all around her.  
  
Perhaps they were content to attack one at a time. They would wear her down eventually, and if Ben's story was even a fraction of reality, there was little she could do to them. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. Well, if surprise fails, unpredictability just may work. Yuffie wasn't going to wait for them to make the first move.  
  
She remembered for the first time the Conformer in her hand and she looked at it. Smiling slightly, Yuffie clenched her hand before raising her weapon. In the instant she did so, there was a sound like the intake of breath, but Yuffie realized it a second too late. A furious hissing began and moving as one, the creatures fell on her in a furious wave. To someone from above, it would have looked like ring of darkness eclipsing a single point of light.  
  
* * * *  
  
Things were not going well. The sun had gone behind the clouds, and the creatures seemed to have become bolder. A furious war was being fought in the ruins of the once great city and Yuffie wasn't sure she was winning. To someone like her it was disconcerting, to say the least. And she was hurt. Not too badly, but one of them had grown claws in the scuffle and raked her ribs.  
  
And she meant 'grown'. They had extended from the hand and glowed a bloody red before they'd gashed her side. How was she supposed to fight something that could change in an instant to take advantage of the situation? She'd tried close combat because she remembered the arrows. Obviously that hadn't worked.  
  
She had tried fighting back, but her Conformer had seemed to pass right through them. That isn't to say she was going to give up on it; Yuffie didn't believe that anything happened by coincidence where her father was involved. If he'd went to the trouble to get it to her than he'd thought she'd need it. She bit back her doubts and squared her shoulders. It was time for another round.  
  
Moving out into the open where she could be seen, Yuffie raised the weapon into fighting position again. It always seemed to elicit an angry response from the creatures. She didn't know why, but it was always at least predictable. She had been trying to find a way to turn that knowledge to her advantage, but so far had come up empty handed.  
  
A shriek came from nearby, and suddenly, there were two of them. Yuffie nodded, pleased to have gotten the expected response. They weren't afraid exactly; more like angry, but it was better than nothing. She set her sights on the one she wanted before moving in.  
  
Suddenly she dashed forward, Conformer at the ready and slashed at the creature before it could move aside. They were fast, but she was faster. The creature couldn't get away, but the weapon passed right through it. A chill ran up Yuffie's arm as she went through the shadow, but she knew what to expect now. The first time had been quite a shock, though.  
  
Still running, Yuffie used the momentum to carry her up the wall right behind the thing. Kicking off she back flipped back in front of the shadow monster and sent a powerful blow to where it's chest should have been. Again, no effect. But the monster was reacting now, and its arm swirled briefly before taking form. A sword like appendage replaced whatever had been there before, and for an instant Yuffie was reminded of Barret.  
  
But only an instant because then she was moving again. Yuffie ducked under the swing the thing made and then took off to the right. She took off in the direction of the nearest stream and didn't bother to check it was following her. All her senses seemed to have become heightened and she could hear the rustle of the air as the creature plunged after her.  
  
She felt something come too close and reacted as quickly as she knew how. Yuffie leapt on top of the crumbled wall she was running parallel too and then over. Unfortunately another creature pursued on the other side. Yuffie didn't hesitate and turned the landing into a spinning kick. The creature faltered and she jumped onto the wall again before starting to run again.  
  
Her greatest wish at the moment was for a few good shurikens. There was little she couldn't do with a throwing weapon and although her blows didn't hurt the creatures they were often enough to make them at least slow down. Unfortunately with the Conformer, her distance could never be enough to make use of this.  
  
The stream was up ahead and Yuffie flew off the wall and into the water, spraying it everywhere. She stopped to look back and to her surprise, the monsters were no longer in pursuit. They stood apprehensively a little ways away as if afraid to come any closer. It can't be the water, she thought, we've been through other streams already. Confused, Yuffie decided not to waste a moment of this precious delay. Taking a step forward, she promptly tripped and fell.  
  
Something rolled away under her foot, and Yuffie scrambled up. The things still hadn't moved, and she frowned at the water below her. Something dull and round was sitting in the current, and Yuffie bent down to pick it up.  
  
It was Fire. No, not fire as in flames and heat; fire as in Materia. Holding it up, Yuffie couldn't believe her luck. Seeing it glint dully in the light, the monsters backed off another few steps. Yes, thought Yuffie, I remember.  
  
Holding out the Materia in her hand, Yuffie commanded imperiously.  
  
"Fire 3! Burn!"  
  
With a flash the Materia reacted and sent a wave of fire at the two monsters. It hit, bounced, hit a small dying bush and sizzled half- heartedly before going out. Yuffie blinked.  
  
The creatures hissed and began to advance again. Yuffie shook her head before starting to run again, only two words left trailing behind.  
  
"Oh crap. . .!"  
  
As she ran, Yuffie realized she was still holding the Materia. She had no pockets and everything that was Yuffie cried out against simply throwing it away. You don't spend several years as a Materia Hunter without something being left behind. Thinking fast, Yuffie clutched her Conformer. She held it up and tried desperately to fit the Materia into a slot as her feet pounded against the ground. After the a valiant fight, it settled into the slot.  
  
And then there was silence.  
  
There is silence caused by the mind thinking that it hears no immediate noise when in fact there is a never ending stream of background sounds going on that are so everyday that the brain ceases to acknowledge them. Then there is silence that is caused by a total lack of sound. This was that kind of silence.  
  
Yuffie could feel the world waiting and she slowed to a gradual halt. Nothing moved or breathed in this place and she got the freaky feeling that time had stopped. Then she saw them.  
  
The creatures emerge from the shadows all around her and wove about the destroyed streets into a single tight line of darkness. Yuffie faced them alone, but not afraid. Not ever afraid. Swallowing, Yuffie left her doubts behind and walked forward. The creatures did likewise, and the advanced towards one another, cold calculating.  
  
Yuffie took the Conformer, and in one fluid motion, every single creature 'unsheathed' the swords that seemed to be a part of them. Neither stopped nor hesitated. Yuffie knew she only one advantage against this lot, and that was her unreal speed. If she was going to walk away, than she would have to be like lightning.  
  
Turning the slow pace into a full out run in the turn of an instant, Yuffie let her Conformer fly. Her arm whipped around to deliver a felling blow to one and then ripped past two others. A sword stabbed at her, but Yuffie danced around and cut down at the offending appendage. She gave a last violent upward swing to the nearest one before leaping clear.  
  
The creatures had stopped, and their line was breaking. The one whose arm she had cut watched in horror as his sword arm floated apart from its body and exploded into nothingness. Two of the others were howling in agony. The sound was not human, and Yuffie had to resist the urge to cover her ears. After a few more minutes of this chaos, the monsters seemed unable to take any more.  
  
In total unison, they turned from Yuffie, broke and fled. She stared in surprise and wonder as the darkness in front of her cleared. And then they were gone. Mouth slightly agape, Yuffie stared at her Conformer. Maybe there was something about this Materia after all.  
  
Suddenly, Yuffie grinned. It was only a little maniacal. To the East, huh? Well, she'd find out where they were coming from and put an end to it no matter what. It would probably be one of those huge palace type joints built by the over confidant evil villain. Maybe it'd even be invisible or something like that.  
  
Yuffie had a great deal to pay back and someone to find. Her dreams called out to her and she dared not think of the Turk she'd left behind. Fear and uncertainty would be your undoing and now more than ever Yuffie couldn't afford to falter in her steps.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	9. Suprises

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
  
Yuffie had been pretty disappointed when she'd gotten there. Using her intuition and what tracking skills she had, Yuffie had followed the shadow creatures back towards the east. However, the continent wasn't exactly wide and there weren't many places to hide. And so, Yuffie had found it. . .  
  
A shack in the middle of nowhere was NOT acceptable evil villain hideout in Yuffie's opinion. There were some things you simply did not do, and not having an impressively cool hideout was one of them. Sephiroth had had an entire evil crater, so this came as quite a let down.  
  
Sulking, Yuffie had examining the front of the little cabin when it had proven to be not quite what it looked. Oh, it was indeed a little cabin in the middle of an open field, but that isn't to say there wasn't anything else. Creeping around the side of the cabin she'd found it completely by accident. It was pretty hard to miss, in fact.  
  
After stepping through the barrier, Yuffie had found herself standing in front of an immense sprawling estate. So, this was one of those invisible joints you read about in fairy tales? It was definitely clichéd, but she somehow wasn't surprised. Yuffie smiled her approval before slinking out of sight.  
  
A huge garden had been laid out in front of the huge mansion - that's what it was, really - and fortunately for the young ninja, it offered many places to hide. It was patrolled heavily by the shadow creatures Yuffie had fought before. Remembering everything she'd learned about them before, Yuffie had made a large point of keeping her Conformer out of sight and out of mind. The Fire Materia was still in the weapon just in case, but Yuffie didn't want to attract attention.  
  
Reconnaissance was the first job on her agenda, and that meant getting inside. No difficult for a fully trained ninja. Yuffie could scale the sheerest walls without breaking a sweat. Just because a place was being guarded didn't mean that you couldn't get in. It just made it more interesting. Yuffie had broken into more than a few stores in her earlier career and she was damned good at it.  
  
A large fountain gurgled happily in the sunlight, and Yuffie crouched behind it, half in the bushes. A sound alerted her to the approaching guards, and Yuffie flattened herself on the ground. She didn't breathe for the few seconds that the guards were the few feet away that could get her caught. Fortunately, the seconds did not stretch on, and the guards moved along their route. They probably didn't even think that anyone would be able to find this place, let alone want to get in, she thought smugly.  
  
Pulling herself slowly up, Yuffie scanned about for the next place to hide. A long cement walkway extended up to the mansion, with a blocky railing down either side. The railing itself was about three feet high, quite thick and with a slight overhanging edge on the outside. Taking all this in, Yuffie made a dash for it.  
  
Diving behind the ledge, Yuffie lay on her stomach, and inched along on her elbows. The walkway was a long one and this an unpleasant way of moving. Yuffie directed all her attention to getting up and away as soon as possible. The grass tickled her arms and legs, and the rough surface of the railing chaffed at her side as she crawled on.  
  
Suddenly, a dark shadow shot over Yuffie. Screaming a curse in the silence of her mind, Yuffie rolled herself against the railing and under the overhang as much as possible. Instinctively, her breath caught in her throat mid-gasp.  
  
The dark creature above her tilted its head and looked carefully over the side. Its dark face was as equally hidden as the others had been but Yuffie could have sworn she'd seen two yellow slits where its eyes might have been. For a second everything froze, and Yuffie was certain she was caught. Her Conformer just out of grasp, she waited to be hauled out into the light.  
  
Instead, a moment later, the guard withdrew and continued it's slow pace down the lawn. Nearly choking on her relief, Yuffie waited another two minutes before moving. It didn't do to take chances, and she was pretty angry with herself for losing focus. She began to move again, but this time kept her eyes and ears open for the telltale signs of someone coming.  
  
When she finally reached the end of the way, Yuffie had already pinpointed the orchard to her right as her next destination. There were many small trees growing in a neat little garden, but through them several huge, ancient oaks reached for the sky. It would provide excellent cover and perhaps more.  
  
Moving fast, Yuffie rolled forward and onto her feet before disappearing once again into the mass of branches overhead. Also an expert at climbing trees, Yuffie was up high before you could blink an eye. She had never liked heights but that didn't mean she wouldn't go there anyway.  
  
The little apple trees couldn't offer her much, but the oaks were a different story. Yuffie couldn't help but wonder. She had been here not two weeks ago and none of this had been here then. Not the cabin, not these trees and certainly not this mansion. She had done enough building in Wutai to realize that huge houses like these did not simply grow over night.  
  
The twisted branches were like a jungle gym, but for her it was only play. She could slip through the tightest of spaces and was quite a good gymnast as well. Climbing along, Yuffie searched with her eyes for a place to get in.  
  
Aha. There, just ahead, was a large window. A long thin branch extended towards it, and Yuffie scampered up it. It bent slightly under her weight, but her balance was perfect and she was springing onto the window ledge in mere seconds.  
  
The window looked into a large sitting room, ornately finished. The floor was wood but covered with an expensive red rug. All the furniture was the expensive, tastefully understated kind that Yuffie had never liked much. The whole room looked like it had been designed to look pretty. But not, well, lived in. Yuffie could almost swear that some of those chairs had never been sat in more than once.  
  
Yuffie felt along the edge of the window with her fingertips and gently pulled upwards. To her considerable surprise, the window slid open without effort. Cautiously, she slid into the room, half expecting alarms to go off any second. But nothing happened. Congratulating herself, Yuffie looked around the room. There were two doors, although there was no way of knowing where they led.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps pounded in Yuffie's ears. Someone was coming. Her search turned frantic as she tried to find somewhere to hide. None of the furniture would give her the necessary cover, and not to mention that she'd be totally trapped.  
  
Her eyes fell on a medium sized grate up above. It was high up, but that was no difficulty. She just hoped she had the time to get inside before the newcomer got the door open. Flashing into action, Yuffie hopped onto the back of the couch against that particular wall, and quickly pried the grate off the wall. To her credit it was indeed an air vent.  
  
She pulled herself inside before pulling the grate back on after her. She was just in time as the nearest heavy wooden door swung open. There wasn't a lot of room to turn around in, so Yuffie had to back up a bit before she found a place where she could back up and turn.  
  
Crawling forward, she edged back towards the room from where she'd come. It seemed like a logical place to start looking for information, so Yuffie peered through the grate and into the room.  
  
There were two people in the room, or so Yuffie thought at first glance. She quickly had to revise that first assumption. One of the figures was a shadow creature, and it was standing with its head bowed. The man was tall and well dressed with dark hair, but he stood with his back to Yuffie. Something about his posture seemed familiar to her. He was talking to the monster as if it were a servant.  
  
"We have big plans, No.15, and we cannot afford to have them interrupted. Your Master may believe that one person can be important, but I do not hold with it. We should not we sitting here waiting to be found!"  
  
A hissing could be heard from inside the creatures black hood, and although Yuffie was sure she was not hearing words, they echoed in her head.  
  
"It iss not up to yhou to quessstion. The Massster iss very clear on thisss. Yhou will work hiss will and accsept yhour reward. If you fail, yhou will be terminated. There iss no other way."  
  
The man seemed taken aback by the cold voice that rang in his mind. He did not back down, however.  
  
"O-Of course, I would never dream of disobeying. . . But you must be as dissatisfied as I. Think of what we could do turned loose. No, I see you will not answer that. But rest assured I will complain to your Master."  
  
Even his voice seemed to scream with recognition, but Yuffie could not fit it into place. She watched as the man swept out the door to be followed much more slowly by the creature.  
  
So, someone was running all this from behind the scenes. Well, next task was to find out who and show him that no one gets away with what he did to Wutai.  
  
Yuffie pushed herself backwards and then turned around again before venturing further into the air ducts. If she found anything dangerous then she wanted to be able to meet it head on. Something outside of herself to Yuffie that she would find what she was looking for at the center of the mansion. She didn't know how or why, but she had always believed that she should never doubt such inklings.  
  
As she crawled on, guided only by her sense of direction, she remembered her dream last night. Every night is was as if she got pulled further and further into the dream until she would be unable to escape. The man in her dreams needed her now and he would be waiting for her in this mansion. There was no doubt about that.  
  
Vague sounds came to her as she went through the darkness, shafts of light from the rooms she passed and fleeting conversation. Sometimes she would stay and listen for a little while, others she would pass on by without even acknowledging their presence. She was being led further and further in and although she knew it, Yuffie could not fight it. She had no desire too. She wanted to find out who or what it was so she could put paid to the ringmaster, whoever he was.  
  
Finally, the incessant pulling onwards stopped, and Yuffie followed a side duct down towards a large vent. It sloped downwards slightly so that she had to brace herself against the grate to keep upright. It opened into a huge circular room, the likes of which Yuffie had never seen before.  
  
A large dais was set at the northern end of the room, and an intricately carved chair that had more than a passing resemblance to a throne. But Yuffie's attention was entirely riveted on the man standing in front of that throne, and she had no time for anything else.  
  
The man was young, no, he seemed young, maybe twenty, but another feeling told Yuffie he was far older. He had peculiar black hair that reminded her of Cloud's and a tall figure. He was dressed in crimson red, and had a short black cape to go with it. He had an open face that should have been friendly, but instead was vaguely menacing. His eyes were what drew Yuffie the most, however. They were black. Not the usual black that you often saw in Wutai, but an unnatural black that was like looking into the depths of space.  
  
He was laughing softly, and his laughter could have frozen a volcano in mid eruption. Another man stood a little ways away, his head bowed. It was the same man she had seen before, but to Yuffie's great chagrin, again she could not clearly see his face. The man in red spoke to the other, his voice high, cold and clear.  
  
"You have 'concerns'?" He laughed again. "We care nothing for your petty scheming. You have ambitions to rule the world; We can see it on your face and in your heart. We will give it to you, but We need the girl first."  
  
"But. . . But why, master? Why do you need an insignificant!? You have power beyond these mortals wildest dreams and yet you seek one of them for aid!? It makes no sense!"  
  
"Perhaps not to you, not yet. But without her, there can be no going any further. And we cannot go back. We must clear the way for final preparations. This is the one who can give us the last edge we need."  
  
"Who, master? Who can give you what you cannot already take!?"  
  
"Peace, servant. She will be joining us in a moment and then all your questions shall be answered. We do not need to waste Our time by explaining the trivial details to you. Simply be content because I have commanded it so."  
  
"The one you sent for has been brought in, Master, but it took some doing. It put up quite a good fight; nearly as good as the girl in fact. We took it in the end only because it did not know how to wield the weapons against our dark soldiers."  
  
"Ah. . . yes. I heard about the girl. I had expected no less from her. Very well, bring in the other. It's about time we welcomed our guests."  
  
The man bowed and shuffled backwards towards the door. Opening it, he slipped out and could be heard giving orders. Yuffie wondered what the hell was going on.  
  
She was far from stupid and could have easily figured out that there weren't that many girls who managed to take out a large group of shadow creatures in the last few days. So, they were talking about her, huh? But what could she have that they wanted so badly? And what a shock for them when she turned up here and now to ruin it for them. She could hardly wait to show them what they were messing with.  
  
The doors opened again, and two shadow soldiers entered. They half- carried someone between them, but whoever it was blocked from view. The second man entered again.  
  
"Master, the one you sent for." There was something like satisfaction dripping in his voice. "As you promised, when you have no further use for it, it is mine."  
  
The man in red smiled so that Yuffie felt the chill even up here.  
  
"As you wish, servant." He carefully raised a perfect hand snapped his fingers. The two soldiers instantly dropped the person held between them and stepped back. The man was bruised and a little bloody, but in the instant she saw him, Yuffie's blood ran cold.  
  
It was Reno.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	10. Revelations

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
The man with the black hair and crimson clothing strolled slowly forward towards the fallen Turk. His light smile betrayed his amusement at seeing the man before him. He studied Reno for a moment. He was on his hands and his knees, his eyes never leaving the floor. Yuffie cried inside as the man shot a glance to the shadow guard. With an obedient nod, the guard turned gave Reno a sharp kick that sent him sprawling. The one they called their Master's hollow black eyes glittered.  
  
"So, Mr. Hero, how does it feel now?" His voice was drawling, not unlike Reno's own. "You had nothing to gain, so why did you follow the girl here?"  
  
Yuffie felt her heart sink even further. Reno had come here after her and been caught. She felt responsible, but she had made it clear that she had chosen the other path. It had hurt like it would never stop, but Yuffie had gone on anyway. She couldn't look back now, but what could she do when the roads met again? The man below bent down and picked Reno up by the dirty jacket.  
  
"And she'd have come to rescue you, you know. Just as you would have done for her. Wait until she finds out the truth. Then we'll see whether she comes running back to you, hmm? Shall we?"  
  
His eyes locked with Reno's for a moment before dropping him onto the floor again.  
  
"An associate of mine would very much like to have a few words in private with you after we're finished, you know. We can bet you even know who. But we'll let the girl see you first so that there won't be enough pity in her to even raise a finger when they carry you off." He laughed. "We doubt she'll be able to recognize her gallant hero afterwards."  
  
With a dismissive gesture, he moved away towards a table that was directly below Yuffie's hiding place. He took a glass pitcher off the table and a small glass before pouring himself a small glass of water. He raised it up and took a small sip, still smirking. He raised his glass towards Reno as if in toast and then sharply turned and rapped on the grate.  
  
With a shriek, Yuffie realized too late that the grate was giving way. It popped out of its frame and clattered along with Yuffie to the floor. The man was laughing again, but Yuffie didn't register this. She quickly scrambled up and to her feet. Her first reaction was to get back away from this man, but a glance at Reno told her that he wouldn't be able to get away, even if she could. Torn between conflicting desires, Yuffie stood torn.  
  
For the first time since he'd appeared, Reno started to fight back. He had been thrown against the far wall, and he struggled to gain his feet. Leaning heavily against the wall, he clenched his fist and glared furiously at the man in red.  
  
"Leave her out of this."  
  
His voice was low but it reached every ear in the room. The man gave Reno an amused glance before promptly ignoring him.  
  
" My dear Turk, she is 'this'. If you were looking for a fair fight or a foe that actually cared, you've come to the wrong place. Do you know how many people we have ground into the dust to get this far? There is no way we are going to give up simply because a little punk said so." He turned to Yuffie.  
  
"My dear, you were absolutely right to leave him. Even after all these years as a soulless bastard he still believes deep down that people are innately good." He sighed dramatically. "Pity for him we're not actually a person."  
  
Yuffie's gaze was now even more deadly than Reno's.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
The man's smile grew even wider and more terrible.  
  
"We know you don't mean this worthless Turk, either, do you? No, the one you speak of is not here." He hissed a snakelike laugh when Yuffie blanched. "Oh, did you think he was? Silly me, of course you did. We're the one who sent you those dreams to bring you to us."  
  
"Y-You. . . what!?"  
  
"He is immaterial, do you see? We are the one that called you, Yuffie, and you came."  
  
"Then, he is. . .?"  
  
"Dead, drowned or possibly washed up on a beach somewhere like you were. It doesn't matter, he doesn't even remember you. And here, we got you to give up your precious Turk for an illusion!" The hiss resumed louder and more mocking than before.  
  
"It. . . can't be!" Tears were running down Yuffie's face, and she slowly sank to the floor. Reno watched helplessly as the brave girl tried to fight the words she knew were true.  
  
Finally, with an intake of breath, Yuffie spoke quietly.  
  
"I will defeat you." The man's laughter filled the room.  
  
"Defeat. . . me!? Ahahahahah! The storm that took your ship was of no natural cause, young ninja. We are the one who stirred up the sea and reached up to claim your people. We are the one who led my soldiers past the defenses you thought unbreachable and then wiped out those you cared most about in a single night."  
  
The young ninja's eyes smoldered with hatred, but she was losing the feel of it. Her anger began to slip away, out of her grasp as if it were water. The tears began to fall again, and Yuffie could feel the dark certainty of hoplessness taking hold.  
  
Reno tried desperately to rally against the barrage the man in red was raining down on Yuffie.  
  
"That's impossible! No one could know such things! What you claim cannot possibly be true because all of that power was destroyed with Sephiroth and Jenova!"  
  
"You say it is impossible? Well think again. Yes, you correct that the only ones who could do such horrors were Jenova and her dark angel, but not all of her power died with her."  
  
"That's crazy! All of the clones and the soldiers injected with Jenova cells were either destroyed at the reunion or killed by AVALANCHE!"  
  
"Yes, all those who went to the reunion were killed in the process, and Hojo was taken care of by Cloud Strife." His eyes flared at the name. "But what if there were several experiments of the mad professor that were kept in containment and under surveillance during the reunion? Those that could not taste freedom until many years later?"  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Oh yes. They said that we were dead, but you can never believe the Shinra. We were dragged away and given new life! But the Jenova cells did not remain dormant as they had in the past, but instead took on a life of their own. And so, we were born anew as an entity of great power!  
  
"The man we were before fought against us, but he could not win against the powers of Jenova. We triumphed, and he was pushed aside to where he can have no power."  
  
"That's too terrible. . ."  
  
"He does not fight anymore, you see. No need to pity those who have not the strength to fight. He gave up and lies waiting for the day he will die, no longer with any will of his own. But we will not let him, no. Not even after I pass to another body will I let him go. He is mine forever."  
  
"You're a monster!!!"  
  
"You're one to talk." The cold laugh told Reno he'd passed over the line. The man turned back to Yuffie his evil smile never faltering.  
  
"You want to know the worst, little ninja? Not only did we use you like the puppet you are, but the one who stands defeated against that wall as well."  
  
Yuffie shook her head, but she could not stop the tears. Reno sank slowly back to the floor, his face suddenly emotionless, beyond despair.  
  
"You cannot hide from the truth. A few weeks ago, we hired this Turk to kill an associate of yours, young ninja. He failed because of the evacuation, but he did not give up, no. He used you to get information, and would have used you to get to the man who was his target."  
  
"No. . ." Only a whisper escaped Reno's lips.  
  
"He would have betrayed you, young ninja, and stood counting his money while Wutai burned to the ground. He would have walked away while you screamed."  
  
With a final grin, the man turned his back to Yuffie and waved to the guards. The shadow creatures descended instantly on the two, and they were hauled up and forced towards the door. Yuffie didn't resist, as she was pushed broken and sobbing towards the darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* ** I know it's a short chapter but I'm a little short on time 'cause of school starting and all! Thanks for all the great reviews everyone! Now I gotta go write the next one. . . ; )** 


	11. Accusations

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 11  
  
The cell was damp and dark, smelled faintly of old straw. All in all, it wasn't one of the better places Yuffie had ever been, and she wasn't exactly in a way to appreciate it. Currently, she was sitting in one corner, curled up with her head in her arms. She didn't want to look at Reno who was sitting against the back wall.  
  
He was in an even worse state, physically at least. Reno had been beaten up pretty badly by the shadow guards when he'd been caught and was now suffering the consequences of his misadventure. He ached everywhere, although he was pretty sure he'd cracked at least a few ribs. He could still fight if necessity demanded it, however, and busied himself with worrying about the girl he shared his prison with.  
  
Yuffie hadn't said a word since they'd been dumped down here, but had merely shut out the world around her. Reno couldn't really blame her, but he wasn't about to let her go just like that.  
  
He remembered with a wince that he'd already made that mistake once. All of his life, Reno had been a Turk, and many of the traits that went along with the job were too well ingrained into him. It was hard to let go, in fact he knew all too well how hard. Once upon a time, three years ago, Reno had been offered a chance out of the hell-bent ways of the Turks. He had refused.  
  
Not too many people actually get the fairytale ending that you read about in books, and the young man had never had any illusions. He was an assassin born and raised and knew nothing else. It would take something the far side of a miracle to make him anything other than he was. The part that stung the most was that his miracle was sitting just out of reach, her wings broken by his own hand.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Reno levered himself up. There were a lot of things he would regret in his life, but he wasn't going to let this be one of them. Besides, the alternative was a very short lifetime indeed.  
  
Standing up, and he quietly approached Yuffie. She showed no sign of having heard his approach, and when he laid a hand gently on her shoulder, she jumped. Her startled eyes met his for a fleeting instant before tearing themselves away. She viciously twisted away from him, her face contorted in a snarl.  
  
"Don't touch me, Turk!" She hissed at him.  
  
"Yuffie, I. . . It was never like he said!"  
  
"Oh, is that so!? So you never meant to hurt anyone, did you!?"  
  
"No! I mean, not you. . . never you."  
  
"Maybe you don't see the problem here, Turk, but I do. I could never be with anyone who would do something so. . . so monstrous!" She spit out the last word. Reno drew himself back in anger.  
  
"You say that now, but you're forgetting about who I was, who I am. I'm the one who dropped the plate on Midgar. You knew, Yuffie, you knew."  
  
"That was then, this is now! I thought you'd changed, but I can see now that you're still the cold hearted bastard you always were. I asked once if you'd still drop me off that cliff Reno, and at least now I know the answer. I understand now."  
  
"Don't ever say that! There is no way you could understand what I lived through, what I did because I had to!"  
  
"Did you have to seal Wutai's death wish!? Did you have to make me care about you!? Did you have to make me feel like you could actually care too!? You said you never wanted to hurt me, but guess what. You did."  
  
"I never knew about Wutai! I won't make excuses for what I did, but I never had a clue about what was going to happen to Wutai. Oh, and don't ask me if I would have done it if I had known, because I don't know the answer. Yuffie, now that I know you, everything is different. Everything I always believed was true is gone right out the window.  
  
"I used to think that only bastards ever got anywhere in life, and that being strong was the only way to stay alive. I used to think that I could live my life alone perfectly happily. Well, ever since I met you all that has changed. You made me believe that there really is a wrong and a right; that emotions can matter; that people actually count. I know now that I could never live without you without thinking of you every second of the day. I know that there are things in life worth more than money. You made me believe, Yuffie. You made me believe."  
  
Yuffie hesitated, but she was not about to let this just simply disappear. Yuffie felt her nails digging into her palms and forced herself to unclench them.  
  
"You expect me to believe in you now!? Is that it!? Because I can't trust you, Reno, I can't trust anything you say. I lost everything and now I find out you were party to it! You were the one who comforted me when it all came crashing down, and yet you were the one who would have set the bomb!"  
  
"It was a job, nothing more! I'm a goddamn assassin for hire, Yuffie, and I do what I get paid for! A long time ago you offered me a life in Wutai, and it was a dream come true. You know what!? Three years ago Elena and Rude left the Turks to go open a flower shop or some shit and they asked me to go with them. But I couldn't, Yuffie. No matter how much I wanted to I couldn't. I've been a fucking Turk since I turned fifteen and I don't know how to be anything else. I thought I'd lost my soul a long time ago, maybe down a gutter with the blood of some poor idiot who got in the way. Imagine my surprise when I find it slapping me in the face!?"  
  
"So what do you want me to do now, forgive you? Is that it? I could, you know, someday. But not now Reno. I don't know what it was you were going to do but I can't help but remember all those stories I told you about Tess and then imagine her lying in some alleyway with a bullet to the head!"  
  
"You want to know the truth!? Then listen to the damned truth!" After Reno's shout had died away he took a deep breath before continuing in a quieter voice.  
  
"About two weeks ago, a man came up to me and told me he had a business proposition. Work is a little thin lately, and I accepted without asking for too many details." He grimaced. "Turns out to be the worst mistake of my life. Anyway, I get taken to see Mr. I-Have-Mr.-Vincent- Valentine's-Fashion-Sense and get a briefing. It's an easy job; make my way into the city by any means possible and take out a man named Mr. Hwen."  
  
Yuffie interrupted "But he was. . ."  
  
"Yeah, I know. It was him that brought me in tonight and man is he out for my blood. I guess almost being assassinated wasn't too good for his temper. Anyway, I was supposed to sneak into the city off the cruiser but I never got the chance. The evacuation was on the crucial night and I never made it off the ship. I can see the plan now, of course it makes sense if you're a deranged evil Jenova clone. He wanted to take out the only person who knew all of Wutai's defense systems so that he'd be able to march his army right into the city. He was buying time you see. It was only a matter of hours before the warriors figured out their weakness."  
  
Yuffie remained silent as Reno ran through the plan. He had it figured out pretty well, and hearing it all put together made a lot of sense.  
  
"You said that messengers had turned up a few days earlier? I guess our friend Mr. Hwen went for a secret midnight little chat with these guys because then he decides to defect to the other side. Maybe that was why they timed it to screw me up. I wasn't needed any more so it was easier to just get me out of the way with the others."  
  
Surprisingly, Reno did not sound bitter about this. Yuffie finally relaxed a little, but she would not give Reno the satisfaction of seeing her give in.  
  
"So a man I grew up knowing and respecting is the one who opened the gates and watched as everyone he ever knew was killed right before him." Her lips twisted bitterly. "And the man I was in love with turned out to be next in line for the same job." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Reno said nothing.  
  
"The guy with the freaky eyes and no name seems to be the one who's holding all the others together. Much like Jenova before him, if we take him out the others will probably fall."  
  
"The guy is one of them, whatever or whoever he is. It'll take more than a few knocks on the head to send him down and out. Those shadow thingies were damn near untouchable." Reno remembered in passing how the man had reminded him strangely of Cloud Strife. His empty black eyes had been quite the opposite of the blue ones he'd hated those three years ago.  
  
"I. . . think there is a way to fight them. I don't know how exactly, but I'll figure it out. I have to."  
  
"Better do it soon because if we don't that damned Hwen is going to have me roasting slowly over an open fire."  
  
"It might not be so bad. Besides, there might be Christmas songs. Anyway, come on. We have to think. If we can figure a way out of here we'll have half a chance."  
  
"A way out? Is that all? You're not asking much." He looked the door over before fishing into a well-concealed pocket. "I'll have it open in a minute, two at the most."  
  
"Wha. . .?"  
  
"A good Turk never takes any chances." He came up with a bit of wire before advancing on the door. Yuffie looked on in amazement as he knelt down and began to fiddle with the lock.  
  
"So. . . You'll help me fight then?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I thought you said that you believed the badguys always won. What changed your mind?"  
  
"You."  
  
"You mean, when we beat Sephiroth?"  
  
"Nah, that was a fluke. I meant you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was silence for a moment as Reno bit his lip. Yuffie held her breath, waiting for him to declare it was hopeless, but suddenly there was an audible click. Yuffie exhaled, and Reno stood up and nodded to her. He smiled, but there was no humor in it.  
  
"Lets go, babe. We've got wrongs to right and lives to live." He then swept out and into the torch lit hallway without another word.  
  
Yuffie only hesitated a second before following, but inside she was hurt to the quick. There was no way to miss the way Reno had automatically gone back to calling her 'babe'. Not only their enemy was nameless tonight, and for some reason the thought scared Yuffie as much as the look in Reno's eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	12. White Hallways

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Long hallways stretched in every conceivable direction. They were either a chilly white or a warm golden brown. Large amounts of the house had been done in wood, and they all seemed to have the beautiful, tasteful style Yuffie had seen in that first room. The rest of the place seemed not have been touched at all, and looked more like a hospital than anything else. It was downright spooky.  
  
Although the place had been easy enough to get into, it seemed to be a different matter about getting out. The long halls in question twisted and turned, their serpentine lengths taking unpredictable directions. None of them ever took a straight path, and Yuffie and Reno were left to trial and error.  
  
At first they had snuck softly around corners and padded stealthily through the shadowy corners. But after twenty minutes and still not having met a single living person, they had given that up. Besides, the hallways echoed with footsteps, and it would be easy to hear anyone coming.  
  
What Reno feared most at this point was having their escape discovered. He half expected alarms to start flashing on and off at any moment. None of this made any sense to him. The man in red had made it clear he needed Yuffie for whatever it was he was planning, and that Hwen character was probably laughing with glee at the prospect of getting his hands on the errant Turk. So why had they been put in a low security cell with a lock that would fall off if you so much as glanced at it?  
  
There was indeed a lot that was still to be made clear. But first, he just wanted to get out of this hellish place. Reno led the way, although not sure where they were going he was fighting valiantly to stay cool and collected. This was no time to let things get over your head, as Yuffie had already found out. It was strange though. . . This place seemed very familiar. Not like he'd been here before, but somewhere similar though.  
  
The hall they currently found themselves in suddenly turned into a fork. It branched to the right and left without any sign at all which led where. With a sigh, Reno randomly picked the right hand one, and they continued on their way. Yuffie wasn't talking, so Reno didn't waste any breath trying to ask her opinion. This part of the house, mansion, estate, whatever it was, was white and barren. Every part looked identical to every other and it was impossible to know if you were going in circles or not.  
  
However, unlike the other countless halls they'd been down, this one had no doors. The others had had doors interspersing the blank walls, too many to check. Reno decided to take this as a good sign, and moved down the hall more purposefully, his pace quickening just a little.  
  
There was definitely a light or something down there, and to his surprise, Reno realized with a little smile that what he was feeling was hope. Yes, there was a novelty to that feeling. There had never been anything much in his life the last little while to hope for, and after Wutai's destruction it had looked even bleaker than before. He didn't want to think about the future, or the past. Right now was what he had to worry about, and what he had to hope for. He'd content himself with that.  
  
The light was getting stronger as they neared it, although with a slight sink of the heart Reno realized it wasn't daylight. No, it was the light of those thin black lamps that could be found in the furnished parts of this place. That meant they were coming up to something, at least. Whether this was a good sign or a bad one was always debatable however. There was no choice but to find out, he supposed.  
  
The room was large and spacious, and filled with several of those strange little lamps. As Reno stepped into it, it magically transformed once again from white to the delicious golden brown; wooden floors, beige couches and a fire crackling merrily against one wall. For some reason that Reno couldn't fathom, this was even worse.  
  
Yuffie trailed in after him, and only glanced around with mild interest. She was alert, but she seemed almost turned inwards. She was turning a problem over in her head, and at the moment there wasn't room for anything else.  
  
A television stood happily on a stand near the couch, but why the word 'happily' inserted itself into Reno's thoughts baffled him as well. It was only a television, in a strange room, in an invisible house. . . Okay, so things were bound to be a little weird. As long as it contented itself with being happy, it was best to leave well enough alone.  
  
A tape lay on the large beige couch, a piece of paper carefully taped to it. Exquisite handwriting flowed across the page. In one word.  
  
Watch.  
  
In the moments to come, Reno would never be sure why he picked up the tape and put it in the VCR. There was something compelling about that shining red ink that looked almost as if it had just been written. Besides, what harm could it do? It was only a tape after all. The worst that could happen was that they'd find themselves with no more direction then they'd started with. What was there to lose?  
  
Sitting down on the sofa, he only half noticed as Yuffie sat down on the other side. His eyes were already fixed on the screen. The television blared with static for a moment, but shortly the scene began to come into focus.  
  
Whatever this was, the video showed an empty white hall. For a moment, Reno thought it was one of the halls they had just walk down, but then that haunting feeling of familiarity settled in once more, this time to stay. There was something subtly different about the hall on the screen, but Reno could swear he'd been there before.  
  
The sound of footsteps rang suddenly through the tape. The sound was at first tinny, but after a moment of blaring static again, everything came into perfect view. Both sound and picture were sharp as if they were watching the scene through a window. Reno unconsciously leaned forward.  
  
Two people walked into view, although it was frankly impossible to see either of them. The camera almost seemed to be lying on an angle, and the two people were only visible AS people, not individuals. The back of one person was near the camera, but all you could see was a shock of short gold hair and a dark trench coat. The other person stood behind the other and was visible only as a silhouette. However, a moment later, Reno knew exactly who it was.  
  
"So, what are you planning to do now? It looks like they're shutting the project down after all."  
  
There was no mistaking Tseng's voice. Reno paled slightly, and his hands tightened where they lay. The other figure spoke.  
  
"I know. There isn't much we can do right now. We'll just have to wait until they give the go ahead." The voice paused before continuing cautiously. It was muffled and unidentifiable. "The only option is to carry on ourselves."  
  
"What!? In secret!? S- I mean, you must be crazy!"  
  
"I suppose you're right, Tseng. We'd need fresh volunteers for the program and we're fresh out at the moment."  
  
"As you say. I know we were getting so close to a breakthrough too, but it can't be helped."  
  
"No. . . Maybe it can't at that. Tseng, you've been such an important part of this project. Believe me, you'll be the first to know when we get approval."  
  
"Thank you. You're kind words mean a lot to me. However, I am led to believe there are more pressing matters at hand."  
  
"Ah, AVALANCHE. Of course, they must be dealt with before we do anything else. That's why you're being trusted with the job, Tseng."  
  
"I believe we're close to catching them now. We have recently obtained some information from our resident spy as to their whereabouts."  
  
"Good. Glad to hear it. It's almost a shame that the project isn't ready for them though. With weapons like this, Shinra'd be invincible! As soon as you return from the Temple of the Ancients, we'll have to see about getting this whole thing back on track."  
  
Reno's knuckles had turned white. There was no hint of the cocky Turk he had been a moment ago.  
  
"As you say."  
  
"By the way, how are the new recruits coming along?"  
  
"You mean Elena? She's not what I'd been hoping for, but we'll make a Turk out of her yet. She talks a lot, but at least she doesn't constantly shoot her mouth off like Reno."  
  
"Oh yes, Reno. What about him?"  
  
"He's. . . Well, he's Reno. Damn good Turk, but far too sure of himself. He's one of the best ones we've seen in a long time, despite an aggravating tendency to talk back. Cold, ruthless. He's strong and incredibly fast. With a few more years of hard training he may very well become the best."  
  
"Just have to see that he gets that chance. Anyway, you have places to be, people to kill. Wouldn't want to keep you."  
  
"O-of course. I'll report to you as soon as I return."  
  
The dark figure walked out of view, although his footsteps could be heard ringing for a long time afterwards. Reno and Yuffie both knew to where he walked. They sat in silence.  
  
The figure in the coat didn't more the entire time, only stood there. Finally, after Tseng's steps had died away he spoke, although neither Reno nor Yuffie could fathom to whom.  
  
"We will have to take care of him. He knows too much, and has access to the rest. Neither does he share our. . . vision for the future of the project."  
  
For a moment there was no sound, but then an oily voice that Reno knew all too well slithered out from the shadows.  
  
"Yes. He was useful to us, but now I think it's time to find him a replacement." "Maybe. . . Hojo I think its time we start winding down the Turks. They will become obsolete with the success of the project."  
  
Hojo cackled. "Yes! It's true! My creations will be the finest soldiers ever created. We do not need Tseng to get in our way!"  
  
"I think that I will send some men behind Tseng. If Sephiroth doesn't finish him off, then the men will take care of it."  
  
"Good, good! And about this Reno. . ."  
  
"I am like minded. He sounds perfect for the project. Tseng was too valuable to use, but this one will be perfect."  
  
"You truly are heartless! Do you have no qualms about throwing away the lives of your men!?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Good. I was starting to worry there."  
  
"Hojo, there is no one who will stop me. Not Sephiroth, not AVALANCHE. They will all fall in the end. Look at the last one who resisted. Now he's the one in the tank." The laughter echoed around the room.  
  
"Very well. Unless there are any unforeseen problems, after Tseng's untimely demise you will bring Reno in to me. Then perhaps we will see what we can make of him."  
  
"Ah, yes. We will just have to make him the best. It was Tseng's dying wish, after all."  
  
Again, their cold laughter could have frozen the blood. And, laughing as they went, the unseen man could be heard to walk away down the hall like Tseng before him. The first man still stood, chuckling softly. He took a step forward before finally turning around to unknowingly face the camera. For an instant, everything stopped.  
  
It was Rufus.  
  
The screen slowly faded to black, although the sound of the laughter seemed to echo off every wall. Yuffie turned to look at Reno for the first time since the video had started, finally tearing her eyes from the screen.  
  
"Reno. . .?"  
  
Yuffie's heart stopped.  
  
"Reno!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	13. Into Darkness

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 13  
  
  
  
"How could he. . . How could he do that to him. . . to us. . .!?"  
  
"Reno. . . It was a long time ago. It's over. Rufus is dead."  
  
Reno sat hunched forward, his hands locked tightly around the back of his head. His eyes were closed tightly and his face was pale.  
  
"Dead!? That bastard can rot in his grave for all I care, but it won't turn back time and change what he did!"  
  
Yuffie drew back. She'd never seen him like this before. He'd always been the one to be calm and collected when things got too bad for her to handle. Now he was loosing hold because of a tape that was three years old? To Yuffie's mind, it just didn't make sense.  
  
"You can't understand! Tseng raised that damn kid. And he just sent him knowingly to his death!"  
  
"You. . . Really cared about Tseng, huh?"  
  
"He was the best man I ever knew. The only person I ever wanted to be like."  
  
"You make him sound so glorified. He was the enemy!"  
  
"So!? Goddammit Yuffie, so was I!"  
  
Yuffie hung her head. She knew what he said was true although she wanted to block it out. She tried to remember that getting out of here was the only thing that mattered. Somehow it just didn't seem to be happening.  
  
What was she doing? This wasn't like Yuffie Kisaragi at all! If no one else was going to do it, then she was going to take charge. She was the inexorable Lady of Wutai, no matter what happened. Nothing could stand in her way if she decided to go ahead. Yuffie drew a breath and smiled. She had been nicknamed "Brat" in the AVALANCHE days, and she didn't suppose she'd lost any of her charm since.  
  
"Come on, Turk."  
  
Reno actually glanced up. It was something about the tone of voice.  
  
"Turkey, if you wanna stick around until you get found, that's FINE with me. However, I don't intend to get caught again today; I don't have as much experience as you, and get tired after only once. You can stay, or you can come. I'm not going to wait."  
  
For a second, Yuffie could have sworn that Reno's eyes shone with almost pure hatred, but then it was gone. Along with it went all resistance.  
  
"You're. . . right. We should go."  
  
"Thank you. At least somebody recognizes genius when they see it!"  
  
Reno stood up. To Yuffie's greatest relief there was nothing in his face at all except exhaustion and the faintest hint of annoyance.  
  
"Genius, huh? And may I remind you who waltzed straight into this damn place in the first place?"  
  
"And look, now we're getting out! Sheer genius!"  
  
Yuffie shot him a conspiratory grin before haughtily turning her back and marching out of the room. Reno let the faintest of smiles cross his face before following her out of the room.  
  
But to his surprise, Yuffie wasn't striding on ahead. She was standing stock still in the middle of the corridor, the dark corridor. Reno looked up. All the strange lights were gone, and only the faintest of glows gave this place any visibility at all. He too stopped and waited while his eyes adjusted to the gloom. He heard Yuffie turn slightly.  
  
"Reno. . . ?"  
  
He wanted to answer, but now he could finally see why Yuffie had stopped. Blocking the hallway just ahead was a row of dark figures. At the front of them stood a man with long dark hair and vaguely definable Wutain features. The only thing Reno noticed was the horrible smile on the man's face.  
  
"Going so soon Turk? I thought you and I could get together after the main show."  
  
". . .Hwen. Nice to see you again too."  
  
"Now, there's no need to go around exchanging thinly veiled threats, now is there. Let's just be civilized about this. You come with us, and we'll avoid killing you where you stand. Deal?"  
  
"That's what you call CIVILIZED!?"  
  
Yuffie was slowly walking backwards towards Reno, trying to get some distance from the enemy she had almost walked straight into. In case of an attack, without some space Yuffie was sure to be overwhelmed. Casting for more time, she tried on her best impudent grin.  
  
"Is that the best you've got to offer? I've heard better sales pitches from crocodiles."  
  
"Ah, Yuffie. Still the same spirited girl as ever. I'd been hoping that your little encounter with the boss had taken care of that, but I see I was wrong."  
  
"I guess I must have gotten attached to it while you weren't looking."  
  
"This bantering is giving me headache. Be quite, girl, and hand yourselves over to us."  
  
"You know, every time someone says that I can't help but wonder if it's actually physically possible. I mean, with the possible exception of Cloud, who can pick themselves up by the scruff of the neck?"  
  
Reno was staring bewilderedly at Yuffie. What was she doing!? They had no weapons and any type of skirmish in these closed corridors would be sure to end in tragedy. Maybe her mind was elsewhere. Maybe she'd lost her mind.  
  
Meanwhile, Yuffie had just about reached Reno. As she finally reached his side, he heard her voice whisper near his ear, the warning almost too late.  
  
"Close your eyes!"  
  
Without thinking, Reno obeyed. Not a second too soon because as he did so, Yuffie's hand slipped into one of her front pockets and suddenly whipped the tiny object at the floor. The result was a moment of blinding light. Grabbing Reno's hand, Yuffie pulled him down a random corridor to the right. To his surprise however, they stopped.  
  
"What are you doing!? We have to get away from here!"  
  
"Maybe, but there's no way in hell I'm leaving that Conformer behind. It was a present."  
  
Before waiting for an answer, Yuffie handily pulled a vent grill from the wall.  
  
"Hurry, get in! We don't have long before they stop falling over themselves!"  
  
"Are you crazy!? They found you in there once already! What's to stop them doing so again?"  
  
"Experience. They know we're smarter than to crawl back into a hiding place they've already found."  
  
As she pulled herself in, she thought she heard someone mutter the words "Wish we did." She smiled and kept going.  
  
Reno reluctantly followed Yuffie through the small opening. He could only barely get in, but was surprised to discover the vent was bigger inside. Sheesh. You'd think badguys would learn from their mistakes. A certain incident at Shinra headquarters would never be forgotten.  
  
Reno quickly became completely disoriented by the complex system of metal tunnels leading in every direction. Although he'd been in many tight situations before, this one was certainly new to him. He'd always been perfectly happy to leave the vent crawling to Strife and his buddies. Unfortunately, it seemed the Universe had a sense of humor.  
  
Yuffie took a left, presumably leading back the way they'd just come. Reno frowned, but dared not ask knowing fully well how far echoes can travel in such a closed in space. He heard faint sounds coming from below as they neared whatever it was they were looking for.  
  
Yuffie stopped without warning, leaving Reno to almost run into her. She pulled herself forward over something rough, and then forced her away around. She carefully held up a finger for silence and gestured to an area of the vent she had just crossed. Reno had to look at it for a moment before realizing it was another grate, but this time pointing down. He peered through it curiously to see what lay below.  
  
The shadow figures seemed to have finished running aimlessly around. As their eyes adjusted once again, the hot whiteness gradually stopped searing the back of their eyelids. It seemed Hwen too was recovering from the unexpected turn of events. Reno shot Yuffie a questioning glance.  
  
"How many more of those have you got?" He whispered.  
  
"None."  
  
He nodded grimly and looked back down.  
  
Hwen was taking stock of the situation, and didn't seem to be taking it well. Accurately maybe, but not well.  
  
"They're gone!? GONE!?"  
  
His shouts bounced off every corridor in every direction. Yuffie couldn't help but wonder how stupid the man was being. Anyone trying to hide would know exactly where you were at any time. But then again, that was also just what Yuffie wanted.  
  
"Get up and find them!! They can't have gone far!!"  
  
A sibilant hissing filled the air.  
  
"But whhhere can they hhhave gone? Thhhere isss no whhhere to go. . ."  
  
For a second there was complete silence. But then, Hwen exploded.  
  
"The weapons! They're after the weapons! Hurry, we must stop them!"  
  
A second later, the group of seven shadow creatures and the horrible, twisted man were merely departing shapes. Reno gave Yuffie an approving, if tight, smile.  
  
"Smart."  
  
And then they too were off, in hot pursuit of those who believed they were the ones giving chase. For some reason, Yuffie found this immensely funny. Still, she judged, it may not be a great idea to laugh out loud at this particular moment. It was hard moving fast on all fours, not to mention quietly in an all-metal structure built to resound with every creak. Still, to two people driven by unwavering determination and absolute desperation, it was a difficult task, but not impossible.  
  
Although they couldn't possibly keep up with the running creatures without giving themselves away, there were always alternatives. In this endless maze, tunnels branched off everywhere. Using only her intuition, Yuffie led the way down countless shortcuts she had no possible way of knowing existed. It was downright creepy, but this was no time to complain.  
  
They twisted and turned, and although they were soon both lost they never lost sight for long of the creatures and the man leading them. They were still speeding down the hallways at an incredible speed, so Yuffie dared to hope the weapons were not being kept far from here.  
  
Hwen took a left, and then a right, and then another right. Down in the white corridors that repeated themselves until eternity, how was it possible to know where you were going? They could only wonder - and hope.  
  
Another right. Yuffie careened around the corner, stumbled, almost hit the side but then recovered and kept going. Into the darkness and then - stop. Dead end.  
  
Although panic fluttered in Yuffie's stomach for a moment, she took a deep breath and felt the grate beneath her fingers. End, maybe. Dead? No.  
  
She heard Reno curse pants without kneepads behind her, but ignored him and set to work on the grate. It was one thing opening it from the outside, but quite another to do it from within. A shout below made her freeze in the motion of pulling up the grate.  
  
"Damn it, they're not here!"  
  
"Thhhey shhhould bee hhhhere."  
  
"Thhhey could bee anywhhhere."  
  
Loud swearing to match Reno's own joined the snakelike voices.  
  
"Damn! And damn! We're going to have search the whole bloody place!" There were murmurs of dissent. "Come on, come on! If they're not here then they won't be coming here. They've got no way of finding this place! Now come ON and get out!"  
  
Footsteps could be heard and then silence. Yuffie held her breath and then counted to twenty. Sure enough, after a few moments had passed, some more angry cursing ensued and the sound of a door being visciously slammed. On cue, Yuffie immediately attacked the grating once more.  
  
Although Reno could see nothing, from the creaks that could be heard, he gathered the grate was putting up a valiant fight. But it was no match for Yuffie's skill. Although she came out of the spat with a bleeding finger, she managed to get it done. With a heave, the grate fell inwards.  
  
Reno winced as it clattered noisily to the floor, but then again the alternative was to stay up here forever. There was simply no helping it. Yuffie slid fluidly down into the empty room, and Reno followed shortly after, glad to be out. It wasn't something he was going to do again anytime soon if he had any say in the matter.  
  
The room was as dark as the hallways if not darker. There was no light at all to see by, and neither Reno nor Yuffie dared more around for fear of tripping over something. Reno thought hard. There had to be something he could do to let them see. . .  
  
That's when he remembered the matches. How long had Yuffie spent laughing at the small pack of matches he'd hopefully taken from the cabin and the drenched cigarettes that had washed up on the beach the next day? Of course! He felt his pockets, and fished around for the small bundle.  
  
He pulled out what he hoped like hell were matches and pulled one of them off the packet. The next part - actually lighting it - was a lot harder. The first time he missed completely, and the second time he scorched his fingers. The third time, however, he managed to get one going successfully.  
  
Yuffie gave him a quiet nod of appreciation, and Reno lifted the match up higher so they could see around the room. Whatever they'd expected, this was not it. Secretly, Yuffie had expected to find the gun, the electro-mag rod and the conformer all laid out on individual pillows or something. Instead, here they were, thrown on the floor as if they didn't matter at all. Somehow that bothered Yuffie's sense of the dramatic.  
  
There was a lot of other stuff in the room, but none of it seemed highly useful. Some broken furniture, at one end a small furnace, and some miscellaneous junk. Nothing was particularly attention grabbing, so Yuffie bent down and picked up her conformer. She held it almost fondly; one old warrior to another. Reno took his weapons as well, and he too paused to examine the gun in the faint light of the match.  
  
He'd only asked for three things. Light, his gun, and outta here. Well, two out of three wasn't bad, even if the last one WAS the most important. Still, the first two could be used to get the last and that was what really mattered. Yuffie held up her conformer and watched it glint in the red light. It was time to get even.  
  
For Wutai.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* 


	14. Destinations

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 14  
  
  
  
The hallways were still dark, but somehow this just didn't seem to bother Yuffie anymore. She knew that it went against all logic, but right now she was having fun. Stalking about in the darkness was one of the things she was good at, and in closed corridors she could be more silent that any cat ever was. Now that she had the Conformer to depend upon, Yuffie felt as if she could face down the entire world and win.  
  
She risked a glance back at Reno. Well, maybe most of the world, anyway. She just hoped she never got on Reno's bad side for any prolonged amount of time; this was bad enough. Oh, she could see it in his face too, even in this light. The evil grin that had spread over his face when he'd first picked up the gun. The electromag-rod was close at hand too, and Yuffie could see the devilish excitement in his eyes. She supposed there were some parts of being a Turk that never went away.  
  
Wait. That's what he'd said, wasn't it? Yuffie hadn't wanted to hear many of the things Reno had said, but now that things were in a lull they played through her brain like a broken record. So from the sound of it he had cared about her, too. Did he still, even after everything? Would he still want to see her when they'd gotten out of this damned place? Maybe he'd come with her. . . where? She had nowhere to go.  
  
Really, right at this moment Yuffie wasn't sure whether she'd rather kiss Reno, or slap that damned grin off his face. Both options had their own appeal. Silently, Yuffie wished that Reno just had some Materia or something. You knew where you stood with Materia. You stole it, and then ran very, very quickly.  
  
Anyway, wasn't she the one who had left him standing outside Wutai without a glance back? Who was to say he'd want to have anything to do with her after this? Yes, probably necessity was the only thing keeping him here with her at the moment. And there was no reason for her to care, either. She didn't need him! After all, he was the one who'd betrayed her! Then why did the idea bother her so much? Yuffie cursed under her breath. Gods! She was acting just like a lovesick teenager. Reno would hate that! And he'd make sarcastic comments, and. . .  
  
She let her thoughts trail off into nothingness. As it stood there wasn't much of a future to be contemplating, let alone one with Reno. Better to worry about that first and the more serious stuff later. She nodded her head almost invisibly with resolution, and her eyes sparkled with adventure.  
  
"Hey. . . Yuffie." The whisper made her jump.  
  
"Geez, Reno! Think you could be any more surprising!?"  
  
He gave her a lopsided grin before letting his face return to grim. Yuffie couldn't help but realize how much she loved seeing him smile. Why had she never noticed before?  
  
"Babe, we need a plan of action. We already know that hitting random halls for the exit doesn't work. None of them would know which goddamn way was out if you drew a map on them in permanent marker."  
  
"Do you have a better idea?"  
  
"I think. . . I think all these halls lead more or less in. If we take any one eventually we'll probably end up back at the center. I say we give in and follow our noses. We'll no doubt find Cloney and Hwen somewhere over the rainbow."  
  
"Cloney. . .!?"  
  
All Reno could do was laugh helplessly and shrug his shoulders. He absently ran a hand through his shocking red hair.  
  
"You got a better name for the freak? I think it suits him, personally." Seeing Yuffie's face he continued hurriedly. "It's not like we're gonna get anywhere without dealing with them. You think they'll just leave us in peace 'cause we find the door out? Besides, could you live with what Hwen did to Wutai hanging over you head?"  
  
"I. . . don't. . ."  
  
"Of course you don't, but it doesn't matter. Don't you want to find out why Wutai was destroyed? Not to mention the people, your father, who deserve vengeance."  
  
"Vengeance? Somehow I'm not surprised to hear that from a Turk." Yuffie couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice.  
  
"Ex-Turk, babe. Anyway, Turk Pride was what made us great. We looked out for one another and we never, NEVER, let a crime against our own go unpunished."  
  
Yuffie felt a chill from the heat in Reno's words. She could tell without looking that he meant every one of them. 'Turk Pride', as he called it, was well known as one of the deadliest things on the Planet. The Turks had no enemies. This wasn't because they were popular, they were widely hated. It was simply because all their enemies had forgotten quite how powerful a force teamwork can be.  
  
"Reno, I know it looks bad, but we can't attack a whole army of super- shadow creatures by ourselves!"  
  
"Says who? What the hell happened to the 'brave to the point of being brain-dead' ninja babe I followed here? Between us, you and I could take on the world."  
  
"Turkey! Listen to yourself! You may have been wrong about the 'bad guys always win', but good guys aren't magically invincible either! More than anything I want to. . . Maybe we could take them all on together, but what happens when we drift apart!?"  
  
"You're not saying. . ."  
  
"Just. . . think for a moment. How well have we done so far? I think we're doing pretty damn good not to have killed each other!"  
  
"We made it through together! We got to Wutai!"  
  
"Which was in smoldering ruins! It won't work Reno."  
  
"Then I'll hold it at gun point until it works. We're going."  
  
All trace of pleading had disappeared from Reno's voice in an instant. Instead there was only dark determination. Reno could be many people, but several hundred of them were complete bastards. Not only this, but he knew how to play it to his full advantage.  
  
Stalking off down a random hallway, Reno did not wait for Yuffie to make up her mind. He hated to do it, but as a Turk he had become quite good at manipulating people. However, Yuffie was never the most predictable person, and he hoped that if it ever worked, it would work now.  
  
And so it was with great relief that Reno heard Yuffie's footsteps and she jogged to catch up with him. She was partly right though, even he couldn't ignore it. It was asking a lot - maybe too much - of them to fight together. Forget the numbers and the odds; emotionally he didn't think that either of them was prepared to deal. Damn scarlet pimpernel and his lackeys.  
  
But maybe, just maybe. . . If he could end this before it got too far, Reno would give anything. The shadow demon things didn't matter very much in the end, the only ones who actually mattered now were Red and Hwen. If they could get close enough to snipe then Reno was confident he could make the best of his gunslinging abilities. If not, well, perhaps he'd be able to think of something better after they found out what this evil plan was.  
  
Whatever the hell was going on, it needed a lot of explaining.  
  
The random hallway twisted and turned with no apparent direction in mind. Reno just had to have faith in his guesswork, because without it he'd have to admit that they were totally lost. Nobody likes to be powerless, and even though he felt much more confident with weapons on hand, their prospects weren't looking good.  
  
Reno shot Yuffie a quick glance over his shoulder. She looked preoccupied, as if she was preparing something in her head. He didn't doubt that she was busy writing a sufficiently cocky speech. Although he hadn't known her for nearly as long as he'd like, Reno recognized these things in Yuffie now. She was an absolute master of covering her fear with bravado. Quite a good actress, if he did say so himself.  
  
Now the hall seemed to be straightening out. Although it still wound about and occasionally took sharp corners, it was suddenly pointing those corners in a single direction. Still, all Reno could do was cross his fingers and hope.  
  
This was so crazy. The only thought that seemed to be able to make itself heard was how insane all this was. It seemed as though when life was turned upside down it didn't bother landing right side up. He would be damned if he let some maniacal clone in red ruin Yuffie's life and get away with it. Maybe Yuffie didn't understand it yet, but Turk Pride was something you earned, and there was no one who Reno would fight for more than Yuffie.  
  
Part of Reno wanted to curse Yuffie for everything; for getting them into this, for being so stubborn, for not understanding, for being so damned likeable. On the other hand, he also wanted to hold her in his arms and make all the bad disappear. Not that she'd let him of course, Yuffie was much more likely to jump back up and do both their shares of the fighting.  
  
It finally looked as if the hallway was coming to an end. How could he tell? There was some faint light up ahead and what looked like an open space. Their steps carried them quickly out of the shadows, and they both surveyed the area. Many hallways converged into this one small atrium, and it definitely seemed as if Reno had been right.  
  
Another hallway, another brown wooden one, went straight in the opposite direction from the others. Light poured out of the hall, and it was possible to see that it was only a short passage with a large red door at the end. Both knew without speaking that they were at the end of their search for the center of the building.  
  
Reno would have stopped to think, but to his surprise Yuffie did not hesitate. Instead, she pushed right past him and strode up the short brown passage. It was fairly obvious that she, at least, had no intention of waiting any longer.  
  
"Yuffie. . .!? Wait!"  
  
But she did not stop, but instead pushed the red door as hard as she could. As if responding to her touch, the cool metal flew open with a dramatic clang. As Yuffie stepped inside, Reno hurried in behind her.  
  
The room was enormous, although largely empty. The only things it contained were two or three tiny chairs, a small table and a large ornate brown chair that looked more like a throne. It was too late to stop Yuffie or point out the two figures hunched over the table. It seemed as if they were reading a map, their faces not visible from where Reno and Yuffie had entered. However, it wasn't exactly necessary. One man wore classic Wutaian garb, and the other a crimson doublet.  
  
The man in red looked up casually, and smiled lazily at the two dumbfounded newcomers. His black eyes burned into Reno's a moment before sliding proprietarily over to Yuffie. Reno suddenly felt very hot. He was just about to snarl defiance when the man in red beat him to it.  
  
"Good day. And how are my honored guests getting along?" Again, Reno was speechless.  
  
"Guests. . .!?"  
  
"Of course. What else did you think you were? Prisoners?" His cold laugh chilled to the bone. "No, no. Only the best for you two! Of course, my dear Turk, for you the arrangement is only temporary."  
  
Hwen looked up, a strange glint in his eye. He stared almost hungrily at Reno, as if imagining all the tortures one could come up with in a whole ten seconds. Daunted but unafraid, Reno tried to recover his lost composure.  
  
"So, Hwen, dude in red, how nice to see you again." His smile was every inch as brittle as the crimson man's was cold. "After we had to leave so unexpectedly, we thought we'd make a last stop in and say goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye!? Oh no, Turk. You and I have far too much to do for you to be going just yet." Hwen's voice dripped malice. Reno was beginning to realize that no completely sane person could ever sound like that.  
  
Yuffie seemed to have made up her mind on whatever it was had been contemplating, and a grin spread across her face. She turned to face the crimson man, her conformer held carefully - visibly - in front of her.  
  
"Why, vampy darling! So good to see you again! I was positively crushed by your absence." Reno suddenly felt very nervous, but the crimson man just laughed.  
  
"Vampy? So delightfully childish! You prove yet again how marvelous you will be to my project!"  
  
"A project indeed? I must tell you, I am not much of a one for science, Vampy."  
  
"I fear, my dear, that it will not make a lot of difference."  
  
"Ah, but you see, I have just arrived with an acquaintance to convince you and your play buddies to keep your hands to yourselves."  
  
"Yes, I see you have both recovered your weapons. Well done, well done." He even managed to look faintly amused. "No doubt you feel that they will be useful, but you'll learn in time. Do not fear."  
  
"I wasn't planning on it."  
  
"Excellent. Hmm. . ." He gazed at Reno and Hwen who were exchanging heated glares. "I fear that some sort of conflict is almost inevitable. Perhaps we should indulge these two hotheads, hmm, my dear?"  
  
"Say what. . .?"  
  
The man in red recently nicknamed 'Vampy' waved his arm before smiling amiably at Yuffie.  
  
"But of course, we must even the odds, no?"  
  
The red doors flew open and in trooped four creatures. They were shadow creatures, like the ones they had seen a few too many times before, but they were also somehow more substantial. She turned confusedly to the crimson man.  
  
"Even the odds!? That's five against one and everyone knows Hwen is a renowned fighter himself!"  
  
The man just laughed again. Shaking her head angrily, Yuffie gripped the conformer tightly and jogged towards Reno. There was no way she was letting him take this one alone; too much was at stake. The man in red smiled again, but this time it was more strained.  
  
"Really, my dear. We mustn't have you getting injured. You really should sit this one out." Yuffie only shouted back, without losing a heartbeat.  
  
"Like hell I am!"  
  
The creatures were now advancing on Reno and Yuffie, their dark forms menacing. Hwen cackled madly at the rear, apparently losing more of his sanity by the second.  
  
Reno got out his nightstick, charged and ready to go. He knew it was deadly in hand-to-hand combat, but previous experience told him that these things were unhurt by regular weapons. The only thing they had on their side was the fact that these seemed to be a lower class of shadow creatures then the previous ones. If only a weakness would become apparent.  
  
Yuffie dove into the line of shadows, her conformer already flying. It again seemed to pass right through them. Reno was twirling his nightstick and doing his best to fend off the two that had attacked him. Hwen seemed to have yet to decide which figure to go for. Yuffie sliced upwards, concentrating hard on hitting the most creature possible. It was with considerable surprise that she heard it scream in pain.  
  
Drawing back she tried to figure it out quickly before the onslaught began again. She didn't seem to have hit any particular spot, but the creature withdrew in pain before hissing angrily and making straight for her. That was when she felt the coldness envelope her.  
  
The man in crimson stood up, his smile gone. He waved his hand twice and Yuffie felt herself wrapped in coldness. She felt as if she had been dunked up to her neck in frigid water, and she shivered uncontrollably as she felt herself lifted up. In a second, she was standing beside the man in red. He turned an evil smirk on her.  
  
"I told you you weren't to get involved."  
  
The coldness fell away and Yuffie stared at the scene before her. All four creatures now advance on Reno, hissing madly. Hwen also began to circle around the vastly outnumbered Turk. Not understanding what had happened, Reno looked around frantically for Yuffie. He was slowly being backed against a wall by the things he couldn't seem to hurt.  
  
Yuffie dashed forward but had only taken four steps before she ran into something cold, invisible, and solid. She tried desperately to get over or around it, but she could go no further. Large brown eyes wide with horror, she pounded on the invisible barrier with all her strength. Thinking only of the doomed Turk, Yuffie screamed.  
  
"Reno!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* Not from the Author: Hey everybody! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! The next one should be up soon! Anyone guessed who the 'man in red' is yet? If you look back, all the clues are there. ; ) Sorry not a lot happened in the first part of the chapter, but I needed to clarify some of Reno and Yuffie's relationship. Besides, it was a long hallway. Cheers.  
  
Heather Cat 


	15. Fear Overcome

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 15  
  
  
  
Reno could feel his back against the wall, his white shirt pressing against his skin. The circle advanced, trapping him, forcing him back where he would not be able to fight back. A shock of startling red hair fell in his face, and he brushed it aside quickly. This was no time for hesitation; he had to make his move. It seemed that for now Yuffie was out of the game, so he might as fell take his chances and roll the dice.  
  
The enormous white room stretched around him, but offered very few possibilities. A few chairs lined the walls, but they were far out of reach and wouldn't offer much help anyway. The long oak table still sat at the far end of the room, various papers still lay on it as they had when Reno and Yuffie had come bursting in. It was as if the two were of no importance, and the more important matters would be dealt with as soon as the distraction was dealt with.  
  
For some reason, seeing this made Reno angrier than he had been before, even when he'd been forced to watch all of Yuffie's illusions stripped away. How could they treat them as if they weren't important!? Events had forced them here to what would seem to be their last stand, and now he was expected to take this!? Reno may have been a lot of things, but he would always be proud.  
  
The man in red had brought them here for reasons yet unrevealed, tying all the threads of his plot together. The destruction of Wutai, the sinking of the ship, the pain Yuffie didn't know - couldn't know - how to deal with; it all traced back to him. Yuffie had never been anything but innocent, compared to Reno at least, and then she watched everything she loved and believed in disappear into darkness because of one man.  
  
Not that the man in question was entirely human. A Jenova clone created in the Shinra laboratories before the events that had led to Meteor and the destruction of Sephiroth. Created with the full knowledge and consent of Rufus Shinra. Created while Tseng, the one man Reno had ever looked up to, was sent to his death. No, he wouldn't let this happen. Not now that he knew the truth.  
  
And Yuffie. . . Well, she was out of the picture for now. There were some things that just couldn't work. She'd made that abundantly clear, he thought bitterly. Even if he wanted to. . . No. Just. . . no. He still could never, would never give up on her, though. They'd both been manipulated like puppets, but now Reno refused to dance anymore.  
  
And Hwen. That damned Wutaian who didn't seem to know when to die. He was behind this too, and he would pay dearly for betraying Yuffie. He had turned his back on his own country the moment danger threatened and gone over to the enemy. He had opened the doors for the shadow army and watched with satisfaction as the people he'd known every day of his life were routinely killed, because he knew he was on the winning side. Well, it was time to show him the error of his ways. The 'winning side' could often change in the blink of an eye. Sure it was two against thousands, but he'd go down fighting and he'd sure as hell take Hwen with him.  
  
It was time to stop thinking and just start acting. Reno was good at that.  
  
Four of the shadow monsters had been brought in to do what the man in red called 'evening the odds'. Whose odds these were, Reno didn't need to ask. He had fought these things before, and they were more or less invincible, or at least so he'd thought. Yuffie had said something about it, but he couldn't remember if she'd actually elaborated at all. Still, he'd give it his best shot because that's all he knew how to do.  
  
He had his electromag-rod and his gun; it wasn't like he was helpless or defenseless, after all. With a grim smile, he didn't even glance down as he flicked the electromag-rod into life. Electricity surged through it, and Reno could feel a tiny flicker of hope dancing somewhere just out of reach. He had to find a way and get Yuffie out of this. Part of him felt responsible, and no logic would ever banish that guilt on his soul.  
  
Raising his arms, he twirled the nightstick expertly until it became a blur of quicksilver. Although he had lost a lot of ground, he nevertheless took a step forward. He was tightly ringed in, but it wasn't the first time it had happened. The Turks were the best there were, and he bet even the renowned Cloud Strife would have given his right arm to be a member of the group back in his Shinra days. And that Vampire-Valentine guy had been a Turk once, too, hadn't he?  
  
He had speed, and he had unpredictability. Not exactly surprise, but if you never knew what your opponent was going to do then there was no way to counter in advance. He paused for a moment in seeming indecision, although in truth he was only barely concealing a grin. No, Reno would never change, not even when facing down death itself.  
  
Suddenly, with no warning, Reno lunged to the right. He never gave the barest hint of a suggestion as to his intentions, not until he struck. He remembered that once, long ago, Rude had jokingly called him a snake. They'd argued about it and then went out for a drink. Gods, he missed those days. He'd give almost anything to live like that again. Anything except his few days in the cabin. Those were the ones he would always have, even if he died today.  
  
With power and speed he struck the nearest shadow creature - or at least he should have. It was with horror that he passed though it as if it were smoke. True, he had battled them with the same results before. But, still, he'd been hoping against hope. These four seemed somehow. . . more solid than the ones before had. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was as if they were lower class, lower grade than the ones they had seen before. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be making a huge amount of difference.  
  
Reno shot forward, propelled by his own misjudgment. Still, trying to look on the bright side, he'd managed to break through the ranks of the shadow things. They were hunched, although they looked vaguely humanoid. They almost looked as if their outline had been blurred so that they blended in with the shadows. They had no discernible features, except two dark sockets where their eyes should have been. Reno had no honest clue as to how they managed their sibilant speech.  
  
The one he had lunged at pulled back, and although it was obviously unhurt in the least it still managed to look uncertain. Still, with a hiss the others lurched forward toward Reno and the other one had no real choice but to follow. They fanned out again, and to the Turk's anguish, long claws extended slowly from their previously formless arms. Although they could have no expression, Reno couldn't help but sense the danger radiating from them.  
  
Involuntarily, he shot a glance back at Yuffie. The festivities had yet to really begin, but he had a feeling that fireworks weren't far away. The ninja herself was standing at the opposite end of the room near the large chair Reno had come to think of as 'throne'. The very air around her seemed to be bent, as if the man in red had created a prison out of nothingness itself. Yuffie was pounding on what he supposed were the walls in vain. She was trapped with the man in red himself, but as of yet he seemed to mean her no harm. Instead, he seemed to be watching Reno with a smug satisfaction.  
  
Hwen had simply backed away, and was watching Reno and the dark monsters intently. He almost seemed to take a cat-like delight from watching Reno's desperate plight. Then again, reflected Reno, he would.  
  
He turned his attention back to the immediate danger. His red hair tied back in a ponytail fell a little way down his back, and for some reason he couldn't fathom he wished he still had his sunglasses. He'd lost them in the shipwreck, and besides the jacket and the alcohol habit, they were the last memento he had of his Turk days. Right now he needed all the strength and prowess the Turks had to offer. Now more then ever.  
  
Two approaching shadows told him he didn't have time to stand there wishing the present away. Taking a ready stance, he glared at the approaching figures. Their long, blood red claws extended, they were the worst sort of nightmare creature. This time, the two stuck together, determined to throw a coordinated attack where the minor effort before had failed. It would have been nice to say there was an evil glint in their eyes, then at least you could say they were human. Instead there was nothing.  
  
The high-pitched screech that Reno could never forget suddenly drove nails through his skull. He winced, but fought to keep alert as he saw the first one lunge forward. Fighting to keep his head from what felt like exploding, Reno lunged to the right just in time to avoid the deadly stroke. He was suddenly and painfully reminded that his side was not in good shape. Before being taken in he had fought like a devil, but had been captured in the end. Still, cracked ribs or no cracked ribs, he had to fight.  
  
He acted quickly, not taking the time to think it through. There was no time! As the first creature's claws struck the air where he had stood a moment before, the ex-Turk slid his right foot hard against the floor and pushed off. Timing was everything. In the air, he spun over the shadow monster's arm, to land just the opposite side near the other creature. In a heart beat the electromag-rod sliced the air through the second creature.  
  
Suddenly something painful and incredibly strong connected with his right shoulder, just outside his field of vision. With a sharp cry Reno was sent spinning to the floor where he slid a few feet.  
  
He looked up, his eyes wide. Three creatures stalked forwards, the fourth bringing up the rear just a little ways behind. Reno tried to push himself upwards quickly, but his side screamed in response. With a short gasp, he settled for just scrambling backwards towards the wall. The important thing was just to stay back, and maybe he'd find a way. . . maybe a bolt of lightning would incinerate Mr. Vampy while it was at it. He might as well be holding his fingers crossed, waiting for a miracle.  
  
Reno felt his shoulders hit the wall, and he pushed back against it, sliding himself up so as not to torture his side any more. Still, he never once took his eyes off the advancing line of darkness. The center one of the three raised it's arm a little, and with a strange blur, the claws faded and the entire appendage was replaced by a long red sword. Reno bit his lip and glared bloody murder at the one in question.  
  
The two flanking the center one separated and headed to the left and right. The fourth still lurked behind the middle one. It seemed almost as if they could communicate with one another without having to actually speak. Each seemed to know where all the others were at any given moment. This couldn't bode well for any future efforts. But what else could he do? Maybe trying to break them up would work. If he could just force them apart, their offensive strategy would be forced to back down, maybe it'd even disintegrate.  
  
Without warning, the one to Reno's immediate right jolted forward, claws splayed for the kill. Running on pure instincts, Reno ducked and rolled straight through the creature's legs. Not under them, straight through. The strange chilling feeling was disconcerting, but he could live with it. The whole point was to live, after all. He rolled to his feet, and turned around to instantly send a killing blow the creature's way by jerking his arm around backwards and lashing out with his elbow. It was a technique he's practiced many times.  
  
Of course, it did nothing. The creature spun to face him, but Reno was ready for it. He skid backwards, his arms up in fighting position. He refused to be caught unawares again. A feint from the top right sent him ducking back towards the other one, however. The one with the sword arm had swung his way, but missed widely. Not pausing, Reno sent a rolling tackle into the one before him, and fell through it.  
  
Regaining his feet, Reno found himself once again surrounded by the three, the fourth just out of sight. The monster with the sword arm snaked towards him, slashing madly. It took all his attention just to dodge the sharp blows raining down from the one in front, and it was with great relief that the two on the sides stayed where they were. They seemed content to just flash their claws ominously. The sword whistled overhead, and Reno ducked. It was springing back up that his mistake caught up with him.  
  
A pair of sharp red claws hissed through the air, catching him in full stomach. An arm extended through the center of the creature in front of him, the one with the sword. The arm retracted, and Reno could see for the first time, the fourth creature standing behind the other. His breath temporarily knocked out, Reno heard Yuffie shriek. Time paused for a moment, and he looked down to survey the damage.  
  
Three red gashes were scored across his skin, his shirt in tatters. Hatred burning in his eyes, Reno stared disbelievingly at the creatures.  
  
"Dammit! I LIKE this shirt!"  
  
Alright, so when all else failed, run away. Minor detail: there was nowhere to run to. It wasn't like he could leave Yuffie here. Even if he could, there was nowhere to go. In all likelihood the door was locked and barred from the outside, and there were no windows into this room. Still, better to give it some space. Ignoring the burning sensation, Reno dashed forward.  
  
He barreled straight through the monsters, and raced forward. The opposite wall reached up, and veered slightly towards Yuffie in the right hand corner. He needed her help! She could hurt the damned things! He'd seen it first hand!  
  
His steps carried him towards Yuffie. She stood, pressed against the unseen barrier. Her eyes were a little wild, and one fist still beat against her prison wall every once in a while. As Reno flew towards the invisible wall, Yuffie's eyes lit up, and she yelled to him.  
  
"Reno! Help! Get me the hell out of here!"  
  
The ex-Turk slammed his fist into the air, and was rewarded with bloody knuckles.  
  
"Fucking hell. . . Yuffie, I don't know how! What do I do!?"  
  
"I don't know! Just help me, please!"  
  
As Reno threw himself against the wall, he felt a prickling sensation. Stopping, he looked up slowly. Two eyes, black as midnight stared back at him. The man in red smiled lazily at him, and seeing Reno's face, his mouth twitched up further. The silent laughter echoed through the room. With ice-cold fear sliding down his spine, Reno slowly turned around.  
  
All four of the shadow demons stood less then ten feet away, their featureless faces adding to the terror Reno slowly felt taking hold. He pressed back against the wall.  
  
"Reno! Listen to me!"  
  
He heard Yuffie's voice hiss in his ear, barely more than a whisper.  
  
"You can hurt them! I'm not sure I totally understand, but you have to believe!"  
  
"What. . .?"  
  
"If you believe you can hurt them, you can! These ones are weaker! For the stronger ones, it takes Materia to focus that belief, but you don't need it now!"  
  
"This isn't some crappy fairytale, Yuffie! I refuse to descend to believing in 'the human heart' or any other clichéd, melodramatic crap."  
  
"Just trust me! I know you can!"  
  
It wasn't like he had a lot of choice, Reno reflected. So Yuffie thought there was some trick to this? It sounded stupid, but heck, so did a lot of things. That didn't mean they weren't worth a try. Believe that he could hurt them? Yes, Yuffie would certainly do that. She had a power of belief, and he knew that it was probably the reason she could dice the monsters up while he couldn't even touch them. He didn't have the strength to believe like that. But maybe. . . maybe if Yuffie believed in him too. . .  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment, and took a tentative step forward. Yes. If Yuffie knew he could, then he could. She knew everything would be all right in the end, that good would triumph over evil. She didn't doubt, she didn't fear. And that was why she was five times the person he'd ever be; why he loved her.  
  
Reno looked back over his shoulder, and stared straight into Yuffie's eyes. His were pleading, desperate even, but Yuffie's showed nothing other than certainty and strength. Looking at her, Reno could feel something click somewhere in his mind. He didn't want to let her down, didn't want to disappoint her. Someone in this stupid world had to prove that a girl's dreams could be real. He wanted to see her laugh again, see her cry again, see her smile. . .  
  
"Yuffie. . ." His voice was barely audible. "If I can't. . ." He couldn't finish the sentence.  
  
"But you can, you know. You always could. You were just never allowed to see. Shinra took everything away from you and gave you the blue suit in return. Nothing can wash away those years, but you can still save yourself. You can."  
  
Reno clenched his fingers around his electromag-rod, and he felt the cold, smooth metal under his fingers. Yes, there was power here. Power for good or for evil, even when there was often no distinction between the two, it was power to do what you believed. And Reno would do just that. Daring to let his crooked smile touch his face, Reno got ready to go head to head. And this time there was no reason to hold back, no reason to fear.  
  
Because this time he knew he could.  
  
Electromag-rod at the ready, Reno began a slow, complex hand pattern that sent the nightstick whirling through the air for the second time that night. It was sure of itself, and there would be no stopping it now that it was in motion. Reno sent a nod to Hwen, crouched man still loitering around the back wall. Hwen's lip curled and he snarled in response. Reno took a deep breath.  
  
There were two shadow creatures just a few meters away, just a little to his left. There was no better time then now to settle up, and Reno took another step forward. To his disappointment, the creatures showed no response, but he just kept the pattern moving and turned his shoulder away from the target. Now he was facing another one - the one with the sword arm. He didn't make a move, not yet. Reno was happy just to stand there, setting the air around alight with sparks of electricity.  
  
Suddenly he whirled to the left, not even letting his foot lead as a warning. Breaking the pattern for the first time, Reno whipped out his arm, and sent the electromag-rod sizzling to the right. He saw the attack speeding towards the creatures, shadowy and insubstantial, and he instantly regretted it. Doubt assailed him, and he could feel certainty deserting him.  
  
"Reno! You CAN do it!"  
  
Yuffie's shout mixed momentarily with the doubt, but compared with the power of those words, petty fear hadn't a chance.  
  
The electromag-rod struck it's target, and Reno knew that he could make a difference when it really counted. Still, he was unprepared for the shock of the blow. Although he still passed through the monster a little, it was more substantial, and the impact ran up his arm and grounded itself in his shoulder. Cursing he pulled away. But now, he had done it once and would never be able to go back  
  
He danced away, his shoulder aching. The shadow demon left behind had it far worse, however. The super charged rod had sent enough electricity singing through its shadowy form to floor a regular man in mere seconds. A hiss of intense pain crept into Reno's head, and he could swear he saw the same thing happening behind Yuffie's eyes; Hwen's too. The man in red only smiled.  
  
The creature took a shuddering step forward and doubled up, its form wavering and condensing in the air. The electricity seemed to seep out of it again, and instead crackled around the outside of it like silver; a network of living silver. It raced around and through trying to find somewhere to ground itself, and instead finding only empty air that yet somehow kept it bound. The creature straightened up again, but bent itself backwards and clawed at the unseen sky above.  
  
Finally, with a shriek that made no sound, the monster made of darkness itself could no longer contain the electricity. It's shape sparkled for a moment, and then exploded silently into the air before fading into nothingness. Even in the minutes following the creature's terrible finale, every person in the room could still hear it's last scream in their mind.  
  
Reno couldn't contain the shudder. It was too awful for any one person to watch and then just shake off. Even one as hardened as an ex- Turk. Shaking his head a little, Reno decided that delaying wouldn't make it any better. There was nothing to be done except everything. When you are given no choice at all then the only thing you can do is curse fate and hope she isn't listening too closely.  
  
The electromag-rod still hung in Reno's hand, and he tried to reconcile himself with that fact. Yes, it was still ready to give the same end to the other three as their compatriot had received. Yes, it was still ready to kill even after so recently tasting life. But. . . it had no life of its own. It had nothing except what Reno gave it, and he had instead used it time and again to take. He was a Turk, goddammit! This was what he did, but somehow, it didn't seem like it was so simple anymore. Why did moral crises always have to arrive in life or death situations!? It just didn't seem fair.  
  
No, he had been right all along. It was a weapon, and Reno was a Turk. Sometimes you just had to swallow the hero inside yourself and remember what it meant to be heartless. Even if he had decided to do the good guy thing, it didn't mean he was anyone other then himself. A part of him would always be a Turk, just like a part of him would always lie dead in Tseng's casket. It was interesting discovering yourself, really. You got to meet all sorts of new and interesting people.  
  
Yes. He would fight because if he didn't then he would end up having to hurt a lot of other people, probably including Yuffie. No hero fought to save the world unless they had serious neurological problems. In the end, everyone did it for themselves. Themselves, the people who cared about them, and what they believed in. The people they cared about who believed in them.  
  
Some one had once told Reno that he shouldn't be afraid of the monsters that slept under his bed. Yeah, he hadn't understood the metaphor then, but now he was suddenly starting to see that there is more then one type of monster. There are shadow demons, and then there are the demons inside. It is too easily debatable which one is worse. It was kind of funny if you thought about it.  
  
There are the bad things that lurk in the dark, but more often then not they are only people's imaginations. Yes, there are monsters. See exhibit A, shadow creature wing, for proof. But what people frequently fail to realize is that blaming your problems on them is counterproductive. You're not happy with your life? Well, I'm sorry but I don't see any Zolems running evil electricity companies bent on world domination. No, it takes the finesse of a human mind to be that terrible. Even Sephiroth was human. . . Well, mostly. It was human weakness that caused him to fall over the brink of insanity and out the other end.  
  
Just because you are human doesn't mean you don't have the right to be as horrible as any other species. Not to say humans are essentially evil or any other such crap. No, just when you thought you had them pegged as the scum of the Universe, they'd turn around and show more grace then Heaven could ever dream of. A particular young flower girl comes to mind. And you know, the funny thing is, usually the same individual is involved. It's this free will thing, you see. It was a real bugger.  
  
Reno had already made his choice. Happiness and frolicking in the flowers could wait. For right now he had to think about the present, and not the future. He could repent for the rest of eternity if he wanted, but the point was that he still had to be alive to do that. Among other things, that was the top contender for his consideration.  
  
He squared up to the three remaining creatures. They didn't seem afraid, but neither did they give any indication of wanting to rush him. Well if they weren't going to make the first move, he sure as hell would. He still owed them for what they'd done to his favorite shirt, after all.  
  
His electromag-rod felt cool to the touch, but he knew it packed serious heat. Oh, the scores to be settled. Rolling it over in his hand, Reno glanced up from the weapon to the waiting audience. With a toss oh his head, he stared at the monsters, blue meeting black. He could feel a tension in the room, and he knew that for the first time the demons were feeling something akin to fear. That was powerful knowledge. It sent white- hot energy through his veins. Fear! He had power over them, and they knew it. Yes it was time to end this show, and make sure the final act was an explosive one. The curtain would fall leaving only the best man standing, and now Reno had no doubts that it would be him.  
  
Finally.  
  
He lunged forward, reveling in the new found energy. The strain of the previous, albeit short encounters had left him unsure of himself and in pain. Now that he was moving again, he felt all the old stamina and the 'high' of a Turk coming over him. Sure he'd pay for it later, but later was a long time away.  
  
He didn't waste time with the elegant backhand he'd tried before, instead just slashed down at the nearest creature. It rose up to meet him, but his feet were faster than it could react and he twisted out of range. Without stopping to look to see if the attack had been successful, Reno continued his whirl to the right and sent the nightstick flying into the side of the next creature. It too lashed out in retribution, but the crimson claws were too slow to do serious damage. He felt something brush past the back of his right shoulder but that was all.  
  
The only creature still standing was the one with the sword arm. It seemed to be the fastest and strongest of the four, and Reno dove towards it prepared to give it his all. His first attack was to the thing's left side, but it easily deflected the blow with a flick of the arm. Reno did not hesitate. He dropped and swept his right leg out and under the creature in an attempt to bring it to the floor. Unfortunately, brawling techniques didn't seem to be that effective.  
  
A large overhand sweep came down towards the ex-Turk's head. Thinking fast, Reno dropped and rolled; the only thing he could think of in the instant given. He brought his knee up and rolled into a crouch. The monster started towards him, but Reno was in full out offensive mode. He launched himself up and towards the shadow creature.  
  
Reno flew forwards, to tackle the monster in the air. It reeled backwards, but managed to hold onto its concentration as it lost its balance. Thrusting upwards with its sword arm, Reno was forced to let go and fall forwards. As they clattered to the ground, Reno thought he heard someone yelling far away. Everything outside this circle, this moment, was unimportant. He scrambled to his feet, ready to go back into attack the second he saw an opening.  
  
The shadow creature was up again quickly, and it slithered towards Reno. It's empty slits that passed for eyes almost seemed to glow with rage. It's sword slammed out towards the man, but Reno managed to catch it on his electromag-rod. The nightstick crackled, but held under the onslaught. Hissing even more angrily, the monster pulled back in apparent rage. Swinging its strange, jointless limb backwards, it prepared to deliver the final crushing blow.  
  
Too bad for the creature that it underestimated its quarry so atrociously. Reno struck before it even had a chance to thrust it's arm forward again with all the pent up energy. The electricity flowed into its shape, expanding, burning. Like its predecessors, the nameless monster wailed angrily at the world it was being withdrawn from, before gently exploding anti-climactically into the air.  
  
Stepping away, Reno refused to look back at the empty space where his foe had existed only seconds before. Instead, he hid the shiver by turning his eyes towards the back of the large room. Hwen stood with his back pressed against the wall, a slightly wild look in his eyes.  
  
Not stopping to breathe, Reno lifted his nightstick up visibly. He smiled faintly at the bemused Hwen before flicking the weapon off. Suddenly, all life and light drained from it. Carefully folding up the long rod, he reached back and slid it into his back pocket. With a cool look, he drew the sleek, small black gun. Now it was time to get serious.  
  
His shirt was in tatters, and he bled from numerous places including his shoulder. It seemed that the last effort of one of the clawed soldiers hadn't been totally in vain. These and more he blocked out of his mind. He ignored Yuffie's shouts from behind him. He would come back to help her after. Right now he didn't need anyone, just his gun and his instincts.  
  
Yes, Hwen would die. He would take this wretch down alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* Not from the Author: Recap!! I love those things! Wow. . . this is a long chapter! I actually ended up rewriting this chapter three times, that's why it's so late. And I'm still not happy with it. Oh, well. As things are getting faster, I promise to get the next chapter up by next weekend. I already have a good start on it, so there'll be no more of this 'once a month' stuff, you hear? And if I take too long, I urge you all to email me and then hit me over the head until I get it done! Well, I guess that's it for now;  
  
Heather Cat 


	16. Hallways and ruins

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 16  
  
  
  
Bad idea.  
  
Reno crouched down in the rubble of a hallway and let his mind race. Okay, so this face off had not been one of his brightest plans ever, but how was he supposed to know that the man in red would decide to intervene?  
  
Gone was the room where Reno had fought the shadow demons, where Yuffie had been taken prisoner by the man wearing the crimson doublet. Everything had been razed almost to the ground in seconds. The ex-Turk was trying not to think about it, but fighting a losing battle. That amazing power! That man, whoever he was, had power like Reno had never seen before. Alright, true, he had never encountered Sephiroth or Jenova first hand, but he could well imagine that they were something akin to this. And he was expected to fight and win against that!? Now more than ever he couldn't help but respect that stupid chocobo-haired Strife and friends; not to mention Yuffie.  
  
After dispatching with the shadow monsters, Reno had been prepared to go toe to toe with Hwen in a do or die bid for freedom. Electromag-rod spinning, gun at the ready he had faced Hwen without fear, ready for the worst. And then out of nowhere, the man in red, dubbed Vampy by Yuffie, had stepped in. With that bone chilling laugh of his and the barbed smile that never seemed to leave, he had raised a hand and stopped Reno and Hwen where they stood. He'd said it was time to widen the playing field. And then with a sweep of that same hand, walls crumbled and toppled to the ground. Reno had found himself flung hard backwards, and into the destruction. A wall had broken his fall, hard, and there were now minor shooting pains running down his spine.  
  
Not good, not good. Neither did he have any clue what had happened to Yuffie after the incident, either. Presumably she was still locked in the center of the building with Vampy, and that posed some new problems and Reno had no clue what to do about them. He had to find her, help her; but if he got close to Vampy again then he'd probably just get a repeat performance of his brief trip through space. Besides, he wasn't sure if his ribs could take any more of this, and he still had to deal with Hwen.  
  
Reno was having some problems. As a Turk, he had been one of the best damn Turks Shinra had ever seen before. Maybe he hadn't been able to take down AVALANCHE way back when, but hey, it'd been three to one. He knew this wasn't a real excuse for a Turk, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he could probably take on any one of them in a one on one fight. He'd joined the Turks at age sixteen, and had never looked back. He'd been recruited out of the Midgar slums by Tseng, already bitter from life and world-weary. Reno was twenty-five, but twenty-five going on three hundred. He managed to hide it pretty well still: bad jokes, crude remarks and cutting comments were his trademark. Not to mention the alcohol and tobacco problems. Huh. Everything was part of a carefully designed façade, born out of years of torment in Midgar's underworld. He kept his friends close, and his enemies closer. The real problem was that no matter how much closer, they were still always at a distance from him.  
  
And in just a few short days his world was turned upside down completely and irreversibly. But damn, he'd never suspected he was such a romantic before. Sure he could sweet-talk any girl when he felt like, but he'd never given his heart into the things he said before. This was something totally new and dangerous. How could some bratty nineteen-year old just waltz into his life and suddenly take top position for importance? It didn't make sense, and he didn't know where to start figuring it out.  
  
Yuffie was. She expected too much of him. Reno had been a blue suit, one of Shinra's pet demons and he didn't regret a moment of it. And then Yuffie was all shocked when he told her that he was still the same person. Sorry schweetheart, three years alone couldn't work that big of a miracle. And that was the weirdest thing. Being around Yuffie, he felt like he should be everything she wanted him to be; like he could be. He could fight for her, and he would win or go down with the rest.  
  
She had said that she loved him. He'd known her for only a week, goddammit! And he was supposed to believe that she was telling the truth, or even knew what she was talking about!? She'd said that she loved him. Would she still when it was all over, now that she knew the truth? Even if they got out of here there was no guarantee that Yuffie wouldn't just turn her back on him. But she'd said that she loved him, and that was what was keeping him going.  
  
Maybe it was because she hadn't flinched away from him even knowing that he'd been a Turk. Now that Shinra was long gone, most people spat the word 'Turk' as if it were the most distasteful and sickening sound to ever roll off their tongues. Reno had heard it all, suffered all the abuse. Unlike Rude and Elena he hadn't been able to leave it behind, and he'd paid dearly for that. And Yuffie had known his past, known who he was and simply let it go at that. Until she'd found out about Wutai, anyway. Then it had become personal, and she'd been forced to face his demons as well as her own. Maybe her horror had drowned out anything else she'd felt, but Reno had to take the chance. If he didn't. If he didn't what would he have left? Even if he managed to get out of here, where would he go? Back to being a goddamn mercenary?  
  
Maybe he didn't understand why, but there were some things he had to do. Finding Yuffie and getting her out were the most important of which. Unfortunately, it looked like before he could worry about that, he'd have to deal with Hwen. The bastard had been the target of Reno's assassination order before becoming a turncoat and abandoning his entire city to be wiped away. Now that he was on what he considered the 'winning side', somewhere in his warped mind he'd developed this strange idea that it would be fun to torture Reno until the end of his days. While Reno was always open to new ideas, this one was not exactly a winner in his mind. He'd already seen first hand that Hwen was a sick bastard, and the man had friggin' betrayed Yuffie. Reno needed no more reason than that to beat the hell out of the man.  
  
Hwen was out there somewhere, probably creeping around the corners, already imagining what he'd do to Reno with sadistic pleasure. Yes, he was definitely that type of person. The ex-Turk could only wonder how Wutai had failed to see the man's true face before.  
  
It was time to stop worrying and start moving. The last thing he needed was for Hwen to take him by surprise. He was already pretty beaten up, and already at a disadvantage. His blue eyes widened and then narrowed suddenly in realization. Damn it! That damn Vampy character had planned this, done this on purpose! The man (creature disguised as a man) had probably never doubted Reno would beat his demon pets. It had all been a ruse to make sure that Reno was well and truly roughed up before the real fight started. He didn't doubt that Hwen was a good fighter if he'd risen that far up the ranks of the Wutaian nobility. In Wutai, the best fighters were the leaders. Had been.  
  
If he circled counterclockwise around, chances were that he'd have to run into Hwen sooner or later. Maybe he'd even find Yuffie. Ducking down, he slunk down the ruined corridor as close to the ground as he could get without actually crawling. In truth, Reno was a mess. His jacket lost somewhere, his shirt and side equally torn and battered. His flaming red hair was the only thing that didn't seem to have changed much. It was tied back in a ponytail, and unruly bangs that were usually tucked behind sunglasses fell in his face. Reno found himself unconsciously reaching up for his absent sunglasses to slip them on. He cursed himself as his hand faltered in the middle of the habit formed gesture.  
  
He started to walk now, fumbling his hands into his pockets. He could really use something to steady his nerves right about now, and Reno wished he had a cigarette. Hell, he'd settle for anything about now. He wasn't about to start being picky. He shook his head, trying to clear it a bit. The once-hallway he was currently in stretched on in the dim light, and Reno looked up in hazy wonder. He wasn't an architect or anything, but he'd always sort of figured that you needed walls to hold up a ceiling. The high, vaulted ceiling hung far overhead seemingly unsupported. The walls were all pretty much leveled, and plaster dust choked the ex-Turk. The lights were gone - presumably knocked out by Vampy's little spectacle although a dim glare seemed to be coming from somewhere. A nearby section of wall teetered ominously, and Reno carefully sidestepped around it. Following this one would inevitably lead him inwards once more, so he had no need to try to work his way towards the center again. Besides the ruins of the walls were all low enough for him to see over at eye level. If something was coming he would be able to hear it, even if he couldn't see it.  
  
He padded silently like a cat through the shadows, keeping his labored breathing as quiet as he possibly could. About the only thing that had gone right in the past ten minutes was that when he had been sent flying somehow or other he'd managed to keep hold of both weapons. He knew without knowing that in the instant he lost those he was a dead man. Hell, he probably already was. So far he'd survived more than he would have ever thought possible. At the thought, his mouth twitched into an ironic smile. To be honest, he hadn't expected to live much past twenty. No, there was no getting around it. He was living on borrowed time.  
  
He wanted to get out of here. The thought crashed down on him unexpectedly. He wanted worse than anything to be anywhere but here. With that creepy gray ceiling floating far overhead, he wanted to see the sky. He wanted. everything. Expected nothing. Reno had never been afraid of death; not even during his long days as a Turk when fatalities were a certainty. All he had wanted was to know that when he died he'd go down fighting to the end. He wanted those left behind in the aftermath to remember him in their nightmares all through their years. He wanted to not be forgotten. He wanted to make a difference. It was funny how it always twisted around to that. It sounded so goddamn noble that Reno would have laughed if it hadn't hurt so much. But still, he knew that even if it was ironic, it was true.  
  
Maybe. maybe things weren't so different now. Things were bad, it was true, but he'd been in tight spots before. And if he was going to die tonight, then he wouldn't die in vain. He had to remember Yuffie. He couldn't forget Yuffie. Her smile, her bratty airs, her determination; they were all ingrained in his memory. He'd save Yuffie, and she'd live knowing that someone had cared enough about her to die for her.  
  
These were unusually grim thoughts for Reno, and he tried force himself to lighten up by picturing Yuffie as a damsel in distress. It was indeed a funny picture. As he walked, he grinned to himself as he imagined her dressed in a long flowing dress standing in a tower window. The grin widened when he realized the likelihood of Yuffie ever wearing an actual dress.  
  
And so, despite all his precautions, he never saw the shadowy form seep out of the shadows behind him and lunge before it was too late.  
  
* * * *  
  
Yuffie was in quite over her head. She had been forced to watch, helpless (oh, how she despised that word), as Reno was thrown through the wreckage and somewhere into the darkness. She had screamed as she heard the distant impact of him hitting the wall. She had watched, horror and anger racing through her, as Hwen had slunk away to find and finish off the surely disabled Turk.  
  
As Hwen had disappeared around a corner, hundreds of horrible pictures had flashed past her eyes. She'd seen Reno lying unconscious, or badly injured in a hallway somewhere as Hwen crept up on him to finish what he'd started. She'd yelled louder, pounding and throwing herself against the barrier erected by the man in red. The man had just watched her in detached amusement until she's finally tired herself out. As she'd slumped against the invisible wall, beaten, she caught a glimpse of the look on his face and instantly her temper had flared back to full force. Now she stood, alone, her conformer lying just outside the barrier's reach. Her eyes blazing, she confronted her captor.  
  
" Why are you doing this!? You have nothing to gain by killing him! Stop!" Hwen smiled for a moment longer before answering.  
  
"You are the one that I am after; you know this."  
  
"I have nothing!" Yuffie's shout echoed across the empty, ruined hall. She took a deep breath to gain control of herself. "You've taken everything already. There is nothing I can give you that you haven't already taken."  
  
"You are mistaken."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"Why, you yourself of course."  
  
Yuffie was taken aback. "Me?"  
  
"Yes. You, or more precisely, your mind. I want your imagination and power Yuffie, and I'm going to take them."  
  
"You. what!?" She took an involuntary step backwards, but then caught herself and went into fighting stance. "'Imagination'? You're crazy!"  
  
"Is that so? I told you already that I occupy the body of this man you see before you. He served his purpose, but he was weak. I'll admit that physically he was strong, but the true source of my power lies in the mind."  
  
"What does that have to do with me?" But already comprehension was starting to dawn on her face.  
  
"You're not that stupid. Think. Jenova suffered defeat at the hands of AVALANCHE. No ordinary humans could have done such a thing, and it then becomes obvious that they must be the strongest on the Planet. Besides the unreal strength I stand to gain, think of the revenge." He smiled again, savoring the words. "But none of the more obvious members of the group had a mind that I could use. Cloud Strife. once maybe, but it has become twisted by what was done to him by Shinra. He is of no use to me. So I decided to focus on the others." He leered at Yuffie.  
  
"But why me?"  
  
"Imagination! You have already discovered that your mind is the only real weapon that can defeat my shadow soldiers. It takes a strong and sharp mind - one with a powerful imagination. Tell me, can you honestly imagine that hulking bear Wallace or the foul-mouthed Highwind having such a novel thing?"  
  
Yuffie had to acknowledge the truth there. None of the others fitted the image he painted. Red? He wasn't even human. Reeve? His strength had come from Cait Sith, and besides he was too practical. Tifa? Tifa was one of the nicest people Yuffie had ever met, but she could sometimes be very boring. Vincent? Yuffie would have giggled at the thought had circumstances been different. Yes, she understood, but that didn't mean she would take it sitting down. The man in the crimson cape read the look spreading across her face and laughed.  
  
"I see you comprehend. Using you, I could become a thousand times what Sephiroth was. You are the key, my dear."  
  
"I'm not anyone's dear, especially not yours." She spit the words back at him. He just smiled patiently.  
  
"Oh really? Not even that miserable Turk?"  
  
Yuffie involuntarily twitched her eyes towards the place Reno had been thrown. Then, flushing again with anger, Yuffie faced 'Vampy' again.  
  
"Damn you." He laughed again, and Yuffie dug her nails into her palm. The man gazed at her with his eyes that opened into the deepest reaches of space.  
  
"And of course you'll have told the others not to try to follow you here; you always did care about them even when it wasn't in your best interest."  
  
Yuffie startled, her eyes widening, and the man continued, smiling.  
  
"That wretched pilot is closest, so you must have sent the word to him because you're practical. Did you really think he'd listen to you? Unless I've underestimated them, the whole lot should be arriving within twenty-four hours. Imagine their surprise when the one who finally wipes them out is one of their own members." The last was said sweetly, mockingly.  
  
"I would never!"  
  
"You will have no choice. I will leave this pathetic cripple behind and take your mind in his place. And I will do to you exactly what I did to him. You will fight back at first, but soon you will learn that you cannot win. You will be forced to watch me destroy your friends with the hands that used to be yours. And then you will be left to scream in the silence of you own head until I let you die. And I never will."  
  
Before she could contain it, terror flooded over Yuffie, and for a minute she thought she would break down. But Yuffie Kisaragi did not break. She had cried too many tears in the last few days, and now it was time to remember who she was. Hadn't the man just told her? She was Yuffie Kisaragi, of the quick thinking and faster feet. She bowed to no one, and she acknowledged no one as her superior. And so, Yuffie did what she did best. She thought fast.  
  
The man picked that moment to step towards Yuffie. Pretending panic, she fled towards the barrier, and banged it with her hand, looking fearfully back over her shoulder towards the man. He smiled at what he perceived as her fear, and when he spoke it was as if he spoke to a small child.  
  
"Come here Yuffie, I won't hurt you. I need you to much for that." She turned to watch him, her expression still cowed. "If I promised you the Turk's life, I would be lying. But I can promise you this. Come to me now, and I will not harm you in any way. It'll be over quick and easy, you'll see."  
  
Fearfully, Yuffie walked forward. Her expression betrayed nothing, her eyes downcast as she stepped falteringly towards the man. She stopped just out of arm reach from the man, and his smile became suddenly triumphant.  
  
"That's right. Don't try to run or fight. You cannot break the barrier as long as I will it to be there.  
  
Suddenly Yuffie's eyes snapped up to meet his empty ones, and there was no mistaking the fire in them.  
  
"Suits me fine." And with that, she drew back her arm and sent her hardest punch flying into the man's nose.  
  
He reeled back in pain and fell, tripping over his long black cape so that he sprawled in private agony on the ground. Apparently being partially alien doesn't make you immune to pain. Before the man could truly register what had happened, Yuffie was already running. She darted away, and ran straight towards the barrier. And then right through it. 'Vampy' had given her the answer when he'd told her that the barrier existed because he 'willed it'. She'd already suspected as much though. It was like being able to cast Protect without using Materia - it took concentration and probably a fair bit of effort. He used his mind to do things with psychotic powers or something. That wasn't the word. psychic or maybe it was kinetic. She really couldn't have cared less. Everything in this whole messed up, tragic ordeal was somehow centered around Yuffie - and her imagination.  
  
Without looking back, still running, she ducked and grabbed the conformer as she sped by. Feeling the weapon in her hands, Yuffie's confidence increased ten fold. She didn't know where Reno was but she would sure find him. Then they'd beat the living daylights out of anyone who dared oppose them. And after that, she'd give Reno hell for making her worry so much. She took a deep breath. There was only so many times she could say 'and then' and only so much optimism to go around. Yuffie didn't dare hope for what would happen after that.  
  
And with those thoughts she hurried into the waiting darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
~* Authors Note: My god. A chapter! Could it be? Alright, I'll admit not much happened and it was way shorter than I intended it to be. I know it probably wasn't worth the wait, but chapter seventeen is on the way and I PROMISE that one will be better. Also, I just want to thank everyone again for reading, and especially for their patience! Special thanks to Voodoo Fyrefly (Tio) and DarkAngel666 for reading and reviewing every chapter. It means a lot to me! Anyway, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism always appreciated. See you soon, guys! *~ 


	17. Fight or Flight

After the Storm  
  
Chapter 17  
  
He was pinned to the ground, trapped. A pressure weighed heavily on his chest, and half the battle was to breathe. He couldn't see, darkness engulfed him and plaster dust clouded whatever little was left to see. Someone - or something - strong held him firmly against the floor, never easing off even enough to let him regain the blood flow to his arms. This last shock to his system had left Reno with a spinning head, the right side of his chest screaming in agony, and both his arms numb. When he tried to move his fingers and found he could not, Reno privately decided that it couldn't be a good sign. If only he could see who or what was holding him down, then maybe he'd be able to do something about it. As he coughed violently on the dust filled air, Reno wished desperately that this was so.  
  
As if in answer to his thoughts, the black haze cleared leaving him temporarily disoriented. For a fleeting instant he felt as if the world had tilted sideways and he was freefalling. Although the sensation lasted only momentarily, it was disconcerting to say the very least. If for no other reason, Reno wanted his hands back so he could clutch his head and make sure it didn't fall off. For now, he settled for a groan.  
  
"Ooowww.."  
  
He heard snickering from somewhere just out of his field of vision, and in a near fatal mistake he tried to sit up. Whatever was holding him down pushed back violently, and Reno's head slammed back down. Not that the thing needed have bothered itself. The moment he'd tried to lift his shoulders his head had gone spinning and an overwhelming feeling of nausea had swept over him. No, blood loss was definitely not a good thing.  
  
Then Hwen decided to step into view.  
  
"So, Turk, it seems we meet at last."  
  
Even in his current state, Reno realized that something was required of him. Feigning confusion, he gave the crazed Wutaian his most bewildered look.  
  
"At last? Didn't I just see you fifteen minutes ago?" When Hwen growled, Reno hazarded a grin. "And I thought I'd been hitting walls hard."  
  
Hwen was already almost ready to begin frothing at the mouth, and his eyes bulged ominously. Reno noted ever so slightly deliriously that after this was all over someone should take some serious therapy lessons. But to his surprise, the dark man managed to get a hold of himself, with a deep breath and a nervous hand gesture to slick back his long blue-black hair. He looked a little like Tseng, Reno realized dazedly, except for the complete lack of anything resembling sanity behind those eyes. Now Hwen was smiling, a hand slipping into one of his pockets. Those same dark eyes glinted with a sadistic excitement, and he seemed to always be twitching in some way or form. He returned Reno's raised eyebrow with his glazed grin.  
  
"Now, now, Turk. I wouldn't worry too highly about it. Within the next three minutes you will probably be more concerned with the hole in your head then with the ones in your memory. Then we'll see who's making clever remarks."  
  
Still smiling terribly, he withdrew a heavy, black gun from his pocket. It glinted dully, and it took Reno a moment to register the meaning of the motion. When he finally managed to make his brain connect with his eyes, he was painfully reminded that the rest of his body had a part to play too. A horrible feeling was gnawing at his stomach, and the instinctive fear must have shown in his face as well because Hwen laughed. Slowly, delightedly, he cocked the gun.  
  
Frantically, as fast as he was able without blacking out, Reno turned his head from side to side in a last bid to find a way out of his desperate predicament. Nothing. Dark shadows held him down relentlessly, one on either side and neither showed the slightest inclination to let him go. After what he'd done to the one's back in Vampy's study, he couldn't really blame them either. Turning back to Hwen, once again everything that made Reno himself deserted him. Buffing the gun with his sleeve, Hwen cast Reno an absent glance as if to say 'oh, you're still here?'  
  
"You see these two on your left and right? Don't even think about trying to get loose. They'll do whatever I tell them to, without hesitation or thought." Seeing the expression on Reno's face, his laughter became less convulsively maniacal. More calm, more cold, more scary. "Oh, come now. It'll all be over in a minute." And with that he leveled the barrel of the gun directly at Reno's forehead.  
  
Reno's thoughts raced. Was this how it was really going to end? Ironically fitting for a Turk. But as much as Reno wanted to give into the exhaustion, he found himself simply and completely unable. As the adrenalin flooded his veins, freezing him, his thoughts became faster and faster until he couldn't keep up with them himself. What about Yuffie? Would she be okay? Did Elena and Rude ever open their flower shop? Maybe they opened a chain of stores? An evil Jenova clone was about to take over the Planet. He still didn't have his sunglasses. Someone was pointing a gun at his head. Man he needed his cigarettes. It couldn't end like this. Yuffie would come and save him. Something would happen. Something always happened. It couldn't end like this. The one on the wrong end of the gun always won. Rule of happy endings. Hah, not in his experience. It couldn't end like  
  
* * * *  
  
Yuffie had been walking down a hallway when she heard it. A single gunshot. Then silence. She froze, but the sound was far off, and for now she had no way of finding out what was going on. It didn't really concern her, anyway, right now. Her only job was finding Reno and she would let nothing stay her from that course.  
  
But, man, was she going to let that stupid turkey have it when she found him. He had absolutely no right to be so annoyingly likeable! Inwardly Yuffie fumed. Once he was safe, she was going to make him regret that fact for the rest of his miserable life. With an annoyed sigh, the young ninja tugged distractedly at her hair and tried to think about which way Reno might have gone. Although now that the walls had been more or less leveled, it was easier to see but it was also a million times easier to get lost. To be perfectly honest with herself, Yuffie would have to admit that she truly had no idea where the ex-Turk might be. She was annoyed with herself, with her mal-functioning sense of direction and with the entire world in general.  
  
A little while before, she had convinced Reno that she believed in him to make him realize that he could fight too. It hadn't been a lie, no, nothing like that. She really did believe in him, she knew and now so did he. Three years ago he had been one of the only people she could count on to always be around, even when it was when she least wanted him. Now he had suddenly reappeared into her life and she had found that his presence meant a whole lot more. She had always sort of pictured him as the one who would pull through no matter what, but the past week had taught her that even he could hurt sometimes. With a pang she remembered his face after they had watched that horrible tape just before she had walked straight into Hwen. The pain in Reno's eyes and face had been so obvious that it was all she could do but to wrap her arms around him and hold him tight. This was Yuffie's dilemma.  
  
She shook her head disgustedly. Why was everything so hard? Biting her lip, she just hoped fervently that wherever he was, he was okay. Of course he was. He was Reno, and nothing bad could ever happen to Reno, right!? Then why could she remember in vivid technicolor the red blood staining his shirt and bright gashes across his stomach? No, she couldn't think that way. Of course he was okay. For now, until she found him, she just had to worry about herself.  
  
She had been aware of the shuffling footsteps since almost two hallways back, but they seemed to be getting closer now. Although she had deemed them non threatening as long as they were content to stay at a distance, now she was feeling a bit more edgy. Her conformer held tightly in her hand, Yuffie thought of all the places she'd rather be. Inside of a nice, hot shower was probably top of the list. Trying to imagine something so novel as running water, she turned her ear towards her pursuer(s). Yes, there was no doubt that they were approaching fast, whoever they were. She knew that there were a million and two people out to find her at the moment, Vampy himself included, but Yuffie's single-mindedness and sheer desire made her ignore the tiny little flashing light at the back of her head labeled caution.  
  
It was Reno! He must have heard her own footsteps despite her prudence, and had been following her. And all the while she'd been looking for him. A flood of relief washed over Yuffie, and she felt like doing cartwheels. Torn between throwing her arms around him and ambushing him and then beating the heck out of him, Yuffie decided to compromise. Snickering evilly, she flattened herself against the wall where she could not be seen by the person coming around the corner. Oh, she was going to give Reno something to think about, all right. Then he'd think twice about making her worry so damn much ever again.  
  
She listened carefully to the sound of the footfalls, and savored the moment before preparing herself to spring. They were very soft, but Yuffie already knew how quietly Reno moved, and besides, who else would have a reason to be sneaking around? She was fairly certain that Vampy would be much more direct when he finally found her, and so it was that she resolved that if at all possible she was not going to be found. It was easy for Reno to say that this needed to be ended, but Yuffie had looked the man in crimson in the eye, and the paralyzing fear still lingered in the back of her mind. If she could fight and win, that was perfect, but otherwise the safest place for her was somewhere very far away from here. Shaking her head slightly to clear it of distractions, she once again set her purpose to scaring the bejeezus out of Reno.  
  
The faint sounds grew steadily louder, and she finally heard the person turn into the corridor where she stood hidden. Trying her hardest not to laugh and give herself away, Yuffie waited, holding her breath, until the footsteps were merely feet away and still approaching. Taking a last deep breath, Yuffie turned, and leapt.  
  
* * * *  
  
The sound of the shot rang out loudly in the corridor where Reno had lain helpless only seconds before. It shattered the silence throughout the empty corridors and dark rooms. If Yuffie had had any idea at all what it meant, then the events that followed might have turned out much differently.  
  
The gun that had fired the shot still lay in the hand of the one who'd fired it, who seemed undeterred by what had just happened. Hwen smiled and let the gun drop against his shoulder. He nodded with some satisfaction at his handiwork, and surveyed the damage done. With a small nod, he twisted his lips into a grim sneer.  
  
"Get up, Turk."  
  
Reno's eyes opened warily, non-comprehendingly. His head still rang from the sound of the shot, but where there should have been blood there was none. Still in shock, Reno could grasp that he was alive and nothing more. It took him a long moment to realize that he could feel his left arm again. Unfortunately, as the knowledge hit him, so did the pain. An awful prickling sensation crawled up his arm as the blood began to flow again. He felt the pressure withdraw off his other side as well, and he gritted his teeth as a fresh wave of torment washed over him, dulling all other sensations. For a second he feared he might black out, but he fought back against the pit that threatened to swallow him. When he resurfaced, Reno lay still for a moment, breathing heavily. The only thing he could hear was Hwen laughing.  
  
When Reno opened his eyes again, he found himself able to think once more, at least marginally. Whatever the case, he was conscious enough to finally understand what had happened, and ever so carefully, he began to sit up. It was a long process accompanied by many stops, and the entire time Hwen was watching him with that greasy smirk. Man, he had forgotten it was possible to hurt this much. Right now Reno's Turk days seemed so far away that for a fleeting instant he wondered if they had ever happened at all. No, he was Reno and he was a Turk. He would get up.  
  
Finally in sitting position, Reno maneuvered himself so that his back was against the wall, and then with his right arm he pushed himself up inch by inch. Every moment was hell, but he did not give up. Although standing was near impossible, he managed to support himself with the wall so that he achieved the closest thing possible. Hunched over, clutching his left arm with his right, he glared at Hwen. This did not seem to have the desired effect. Hwen burst into more laughter as if the whole thing were a glorious joke. Both of them disregarded the second shadow creature that was standing a ways apart, still awaiting instructions. Each man's attention was riveted on his rival. For a time it seemed as though the strange staring contest would continue forever, but Reno was the first to give in.  
  
"Why?"  
  
His question was quiet, but his eyes smoldered with hatred.  
  
"I was proving a point. I told you they'd do anything I told them. . . including dieing." He turned to the creature standing behind him. "You may leave now. I will take care of the rest." The creature nodded in acknowledgement, and then slunk away into the shadows from whence it had come. Reno's glare was becoming more suspicious by the moment.  
  
"Answer me."  
  
"But it's the truth, Turk. Don't you believe me?" His slitted eyes made him resemble a snake. "You see, it's no fun if I make it too easy now is it? I'm going to give you a chance, and then I'm going to kill you."  
  
Reno shivered slightly. It seemed some people were never meant to get a break. Hwen was truly a sick bastard, and if given the chance Reno would happily shoot him with a big smile on his face. Unfortunately, it seemed that may not be the way it was going to turn out. Not taking his eyes from Hwen, Reno unobtrusively slipped a hand into his pocket. His last resort. He'd found it on the beach back at the cabin the same day as he'd found the pack of cigarettes, when Yuffie had refused to go beach combing with him. Figuring that there was little likelihood of actually having to use it, he'd stashed it away and then forgotten about it entirely. In the depths of his pocket, he wrapped his hand around the potion almost absently. He'd intended to use it only in a real emergency, but it kind of looked like it was going to be now or never.  
  
With as nonchalant an air as he could manage, Reno pulled the potion out and calmly brought the tiny purple bottle to his lips. With a cold smile of his own, Reno unstoppered the bottle and drank it down. He noticed with pleasure the way Hwen's smile faded as the glass vial became empty. Although not daring to take his eyes off the deranged madman, Reno took great pleasure in the feeling of well being that settled over him. He liked to imagine that he could feel the medicine working its way through his bloodstream, healing as it went. No, a single potion wouldn't even come close to repairing the damage done to his system, but it would make him at least functional. That was the best he could hope for, and he prayed it would be enough.  
  
He could feel the haze clearing now, could begin to think with clarity again. His side still ached like anything, but both his arms and his legs seemed to be more or less up to speed. Testing, he stood up away from the wall. To his thinly concealed amazement, his legs and back held him and with almost no effort. Grinning now, Reno dropped the empty potion back into his pocket before giving Hwen a jaunty grin and stretching his arms up above his head. It felt very, very good. Almost as good as seeing the glitter of fear and anger in the tall Wutaian's eyes.  
  
Done with his little display, Reno nodded to his opponent before reaching into his back pocket. Ah, yes, it was still there. He withdrew a small black object that he knew all too well. Reno's hands knew every groove and rough spot on the gun's surface, and he knew that it fired bullets point two degrees to the left. He could reload it in four seconds, take it apart and put it back together in forty. Reno knew his gun inside out, and holding it in his hand he knew that even injured he could match Hwen blow per blow, bullet per bullet.  
  
"What a nice parting gift! I know that normally dead men can't use guns, but you have to realize, I'm not exactly ordinary." He smiled sweetly. "For someone who wants to kill me so badly, you really aren't doing a very good job of it." He cocked his own gun, mimicking Hwen's previous actions. "Turk rule number four: Always disarm your victim."  
  
Weapon in hand, he took an experimental step forward. His ribs sent shooting pains, but it seemed to be relatively confined and nothing else seemed to be majorly wrong. Yes, apparently even a cheap little potion could work wonders when you were desperate enough. Reno's grin became a lot more evil. There are few things in the world that the Turks had ever bothered themselves with, but vengeance was one of them. Oh, yes, there was almost nothing sweeter than revenge and Reno knew that now it was his turn to get even.  
  
* * * *  
  
From her position almost halfway across the building, Yuffie heard the bullets start to fly. She was slightly preoccupied however. She cursed herself again, making good use of every word Cid had added to her vocabulary. She was such a self-centered idiot! It wasn't enough to almost let an ambush sneak right up on her, no, never good enough for Yuffie Kisaragi! Instead she'd freaking jumped right into the middle of it! If she'd had one handy and time to spare, Yuffie probably would have hit her head against a wall. But sadly, now was not the time for recriminations. There was too much to do, and not enough time as it was.  
  
The sound of gunfire in the distance was in a way reassuring, but also terribly worrying. She'd bet anything that it was Reno, but she also had a sick feeling that his opponent was none other than Hwen. While she knew Reno was one of the most competent people she had ever met, she also knew that he was injured and probably a lot more so than the last time she'd seen him. How long could he hold up under the barrage leveled at him by her once comrade in arms? She just prayed that he didn't underestimate the Wutaian. She'd seen Hwen training since she was a toddler, and growing up she'd often admired his skill. Well, no more. She just had to hope. She would get to Reno, help him when she could, but for now she had to take care of her own problems.  
  
She surveyed the shadows arrayed before her, trying hard to count them in the dim light. There appeared to be six, or maybe seven, but it was almost impossible to tell. She faced them in the crumbling corridor, weapon at ready. To their great surprise, as well as her own, she had come diving out of nowhere at them, and had passed straight through one of them and hit the ground rolling. She'd come up and gone immediately into attack stance, all the while full of shock and horror. Stupid! They were watching her now, and though the corridor was too narrow for them to circle around they were searching for an opening. How convenient that their target had delivered herself directly to them! She swore again.  
  
Taking her conformer, Yuffie swung it warningly in the direction of one of the creatures that had edged too close. It flowed out of the way, liquid darkness. Yuffie glared at them now, trying hard to suppress the fear she felt quickly mounting. She stared into the dark, eyeless sockets of one of them that had more or less human form, and for the first time Yuffie was well and truly afraid. For one, she knew she was alone. Reno wouldn't be coming to her rescue this time; he was locked in a fierce battle somewhere beyond her reach. She was alone. The words echoed around her head. There was no one, nowhere for her to go. Wutai was gone, her friends were gone, they'd abandoned her to this darkness. They didn't care; why would they come to help some whiny ninja brat who caused them nothing but trouble? No, they'd watch and laugh as she floundered around helplessly here in the shadows; pointing and laughing. And Reno. He wasn't here. He probably didn't care either! Why should he care!? She was all alone. She was trapped here, huddled in a little ball, a scared child all alone. She could feel the darkness creeping up on her and she wanted to cry out but there was no one who would here. She was all alone. Reno.  
  
The name snapped her out of it. She tore her eyes away from the creature, feeling the coldness ebb away. That had been too close. That feeling of utter abandonment. If they could do that with only their eyes, then it did not bode well. Yuffie shivered. Was she really that insecure? Probably. She was a teenager who had seen more than her fair share, and though she had amazing friends she'd always sort of counted herself the odd one out. The youngest one, the pest, the brat, the thief who was just along for the ride. She was always afraid that people, her friends, would think of her like that. She just hid it very well under layers of stubbornness and playful immaturity. It was just the way she dealt, coped, survived. She needed to cling to that childishness, to put up a brave front for herself. She had always lived that way, surrounding herself with walls until the walls became a part of her.  
  
She had always been selfish, true, but it had been because before Cloud and everyone there had never been anyone else to care about. Her father had always run Wutai, encouraging her independence and free spirit. It wasn't until after Meteor that she'd discovered what it was like to be really be a part of her city, and to be a true leader. Even then though, in a way she'd been apart, separate, afraid. Cloud, Tifa, Aeris, Cid, Barret, Cait Sith, Red, even Vinny. They had shown her what it was to care about other people, to put someone or something before yourself. But still. it hadn't been enough. And overnight everything had changed. Wutai was gone, Cloud, Cid and co. were on their way here right now, very likely traveling towards death that she would deliver to them with her own hands. And Reno. Reno. Inwardly, Yuffie smiled. Oh, there was something, someone to fight for now alright.  
  
Holding her conformer with one hand, Yuffie slid one foot forward and the other slightly back. She would need the momentum the rough floor could provide if she were going to be able to press the advantage of speed. All right; plan time. She needed to get to where Reno was, and then they needed to make a hasty exit. These shadow things were now between her and her redheaded Turk, and she was about to show them quite how dangerous a place that was to be. The gunfire would make it easier to find Reno, but she would have to get there, and preferably in good enough shape so that she would be able to help. Speed was definitely of the essence. Eyeing the creatures, Yuffie searched for an opening. She didn't have time to waste, so she was going to have to break through. Keeping the monsters off her back while on the move wasn't going to be the easiest thing she'd ever done, but there was not a lot of choice. It seemed like the Universe wanted action.  
  
Tensing for only a fraction of a second, Yuffie leaned her weight into it and pushed off. She knew what she was doing was dangerous, but she had no doubts. She launched straight towards the small gap between two of the creatures. With only a slightly delayed reaction, one moved forward to cut her off and effectively block the way to freedom. Yuffie had counted on that. Without any kind of forewarning, Yuffie's next running step was slid off to one side. Using that same speed, she pushed out sending herself spinning through the air, Conformer flying at arms length, whipping at anything within reach. Lashing out with her right leg, Yuffie sent the intercepting creature straight back and into the floor before landing lightly on both feet. Within the instant, she was off like a spooked hare. Yuffie knew that in a straight match the Shadows were no match for her. The real challenge would be keeping up the pace while battling.  
  
She could hear the sounds of pursuit already ringing in her ears. They moved strangely, and she found it difficult to place exactly where they were and what they were doing. Looking backwards would mean to lose precious seconds, however, so Yuffie concentrated on just putting as much distance between her and them as possible. She silently thanked whatever gods may be listening for giving her the foresight to keep up her training. It was only thanks to the crazy amount of stamina she'd built up over the years that she'd made it this far. She was tired; it was true. The days leading up to this one hadn't exactly been conducive to sleep, and even she was starting to run low on energy. Fighting takes a lot out of you, and the constant battle of wits as well as weapons had kept her on her toes for about as long as she could stand. If she lost the war to exhaustion than it would all the over.  
  
A strange skittering sound forced her to divide her attention, cutting into the concentration that she clung to so precariously. She had very little time to wonder, however, before the answer presented itself with great force. The noise drew closer, sounding more and more like claws skittering across the hard floor. With little to no warning, the figure making the sound threw itself bodily at Yuffie from the back right in an attempt to dissuade her from her intended flight. She let out a brief yelp as she went tumbling forward and straight into a wall.  
  
Finding herself lying on her back, scrunched against the remnants of a wall, Yuffie rolled over and hastily climbed to her feet. What had that been, that it could run so fast? Fear stirred within her when she considered her chances without the advantage of speed. Not good at all. It was then that a large dark shape padded forward, out of the thick, chalky air. She recognized it all too well, now that she saw it up close for the first time. How had she forgotten? It was still the same dark shadowy substance as the other monsters, but its hulking shape was now on all fours, with a long, pointed muzzle jutting out from the barely distinguishable face. Dark eyeless sockets watched her, and it opened its mouth to let out the terrible ultrasonic shriek that Yuffie would never forget until the day she died. Trying to ignore the ringing in her ears, Yuffie fought a losing battle to stay on her feet. Finding herself slowly sliding down regardless, she hit the floor on her knees but refused to cover her ears.  
  
As the wail slowly died away, Yuffie, trembling, allowed herself to look around once more. The other five Shadows had drawn closely in, apparently signaled by the god-awful sound.  
  
How could she have forgotten their flight in the forest from these very same creatures? Back in Wutai, Ben had even warned her that they could shape shift at will. She should have been using the knowledge to keep one step ahead, not letting it catch her with her guard down. This was bad news, and unless Yuffie came up with something very quickly it might even spell the beginning of some very serious trouble. Climbing back up, Yuffie studied the dark things surrounding her.  
  
They all seemed very intent on her every movement, and Yuffie tried to force her brain into overdrive. The Shadows were fairly smart, and now they had at least one that could and would transform into wolf form. She needed to throw them off badly, but how to do it? She wished that she still had one of her flash bombs left right about now, but just about anything would do. Distance was what she needed, that and a major distraction. Well, what did she have that could keep their attention occupied long enough? She had the Conformer, but there was no way in hell she was going to throw that away. She had the Fire materia, but that was also something that she would only lose on pain of death. Yuffie knew all too well how violently the Shadows reacted to materia, but without it she wouldn't be able to fight them. Okay then. That could be Plan B, a last desperate resort.  
  
For the time being, there had to be something else. They seemed to follow every gesture she made, so perhaps a big enough movement from behind would do the trick? That, at least, she could manage. Looking down, Yuffie hastily considered her options. So little time before they moved in for the attack. It would have to be the wrist guard. She flinched slightly at the thought of throwing it away, since it could carry up to eight materia at a time, but right now this wasn't exactly a top priority. With a slight moan as her inner materia hunter kicked in, Yuffie undid the tight metal brace before judging distances. Taking a deep breath, Yuffie drew back her arm, and threw as hard as she could back the way they'd come. Not even the tiniest reaction. Every single one of the creatures' eyes remained on her, even when a distant thud told her it had hit the ground. Great. Now she'd thrown away her favorite armor for nothing.  
  
It was going to come down to the wire then. Well, she thought, materia, you've been a good friend. Maybe if she could run fast enough she could get away, and then she wouldn't need the materia. Then she and Reno could escape, and they could get more materia for when they decided to come back. Lots and lots of materia. It was all she could hope for as she carefully disengaged the materia from its slot on her conformer. She could feel the attention of every single one of the monsters on the small round green orb in the palm of her hand. With a slightly ironic smile, Yuffie threw it.  
  
This time she did get a reaction, and instantly. Their strange hissing arose, and as one the Shadows turned to pursue what they perceived as the biggest threat to them. The wolf one bounded ahead, but the others followed closely behind leaving Yuffie to make good her escape. Shortly she knew they'd come after her again, but hopefully their hatred of materia would keep them back for just long enough. She began to sprint in the opposite direction, telling her tired legs that it was just a little further now, just a little more. Whether or not this was the truth didn't matter, as long as she went on believing it. Running as hard as she could, Yuffie tried to listen for the Shadows to know when they finally caught on to what she'd done. Unfortunately, sound was not the first thing that told her they were on her tail once again.  
  
The arrow whizzed past, just half an inch from her left cheek. Her eyes widened as she felt the displaced air brush against her face, saw the arrow continue on ahead of her to embed itself into the ruins somewhere. Fear seemed to be a constant state of being for Yuffie lately, but seeing the arrow fly past nearly stopped her heart once and for all. She remembered all too well what Ben had told her about those and their effect on anyone and everyone they struck. With some difficulty, she forced her breathing to continue before tearing away up the passage at an even higher speed. She could not afford to take even the slightest hit from one of those. And now, with no materia to defend herself with from the Shadows, Yuffie had no choice but to run as far and fast as her legs would take her before she collapsed. There was nothing for it now.  
  
She would take the fight to Reno.  
  
~*Author's Note: Before anything else, I just want to say that this chapter is dedicated especially to Tijuana Pirate for teaching me the art of poke and run, and to One Cute Sweetie Pie because she's the most awesome person in the world and also because it's her birthday. * waves * Happy Birthday! This is also for Kiwi Kawaii because she hasn't killed me yet, for Voodoo Firefly for being simply amazing, for DarkAngel666, A Flower Merchant, Kimmie3, and everybody else. And, just for the record, I'm so totally ashamed that this took like six months to write. But I'm back, and I'm packing mega chapters! I'd originally intended to make this chapter way longer, but I decided to split into two. Next time, the battle between Reno and Hwen. ^_^ *~ 


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